Forty  Years 


SiAii    !YLER 


PRINCETON,    N.  J. 


Purchased  by  the  Hammill   Missionary   Fund. 

BV  3625  .Z82  T94  1891 
Tyler,  Josiah,  1823-1895. 
Forty  years  among  the  Zulus 


Iti;v.    .Fdsiaii    Tvi.ick 


FORTY  YEARS 
AMONG  THE  ZULUS 


BY 


y 

REV.   JOSIAH    TVLER 

MISSIONARY   OF  THE  A.  B.  C.  F.  M. 


BOSTON  AND  CHICAGO 
(Congregational  SunIia5s;5tf)ool  ani  ^Publtsfjtng  Socutg 


Copyright,  isni,  by 
Congregational  Sunday-School  and  I'ublishinu  Society. 


TO  THE  MEMORY  OF 

MY      BELOVED     WIKE. 

WHO  FOR 

THIRTY-EIGHT  YEARS   LABORED   UNWEARIEDLY 

FOR  THE  EVANGELIZATION   OF 

THE  ZULUS, 

AND   WAS  THEN  CALLED   TO  HIGHER  SERVICE. 


NOTE 


Reluctantly  obliged  by  ill  health  to  relin- 
quish mission  work  in  Africa,  it  has  been 
suggested  that  I  publish  some  account  of  the 
beginning  and  growth  of  the  evangelization 
of  the  Zulus.  Thanks  are  due  to  the  editors 
of  The  New  York  Observer  and  other  papers 
for  permission  to  make  use  of  articles  which 
have  occasionally  appeared  from  ray  pen  while 
in  Natal.  If  what  I  have  written  shall  lead 
any  one  to  consecrate  himself  to  the  work  of 
the  Master  in  South  Africa,  I  shall  be  fully 
repaid.  j.  t. 


INTRODUCTION. 


It  is  good  to  observe  a  people  through  the 
eyes  of  one  who  has  long  lived  among  them 
and  for  them.  The  unselfish  soul  is  the  best 
observer.  He  sees  truthfully  who  sees  the 
good,  that  he  may  enlarge  it ;  the  evil,  that 
he  may  cure  it.  For  a  study  of  races,  the 
devotion  of  love  is  the  light  of  wisdom.  For 
this  reason  the  observations  and  reflections  of 
this  book  will  have  a  just  and  permanent  value. 

The  "  heroes  of  the  Dark  Continent "  are 
not  all  named  in  the  records  of  explorations 
and  discoveries.  The  worth  and  courage  of 
the  missionary,  who,  by  his  fidelity  in  preaching 
and  living  the  gospel,  discovers  the  man  in 
the  savage,  are  less  conspicuous  but  no  less 
real.  England  may  trace  many  streams  of  her 
power  to  the  fountains  that  were  opened  by 
the  teachers  and  preachers  of  Jesus  when  her 
ancestors  were  pagans.  If  another  England  — 
a  "Greater  Britain" — appear  in  South  Africa, 
with  commerce,  education,  a  well-organized 
society,  and  the  beneficent   forces  of  religion, 


8  Introduction. 


it  will  be  created  by  the  same  truth  and 
personal  consecration.  Missionary  Tyler  will 
not  live  to  see  the  society  of  his  hope,  but 
when  it  comes  and  its  history  shall  be  written, 
the  "Forty  Years  among  the  Zulus"  will  be 
named  as  among  the  seeds  without  which  there 
could  have  been  no  harvest. 

It  is  said  that  nearly  one  fourth  of  the  native 
inhabitants  of  Africa  are  of  the  Bantu  race, 
of  which  the  Zulu  is  doubtless  the  most 
interesting  tribe.  This  book  makes  evident 
that  they  are  not  only  numerous,  but  have  a 
capacity  for  great  things.  In  their  courage 
and  respect  for  property  rights  is  found  the 
promise  of  a  new  nation.  If  Paul  plant  and 
Apollos  water,  God  will  give  the  increase. 
This  book  describes  the  people  as  they  are: 
their  vulgarities,  superstitions,  their  somewhat 
offensive  but  vigorous  naturalness,  and  proves 
what  may  be  done  with  them  by  the  power  of 
the  gospel.  What  we  call  civilization  is  now 
entering  Africa.  The  Christian  religion  must 
go  with  it,  or  its  selfish  and  depraving  ac- 
companiments—  impurity,  intemperance  — will 
make  the  light  of  knowledge  darker  than  the 
native  ignorance. 

There  is  a  fascination  in  reading  the  chap- 
ters describing  Zulu   life   as   they  follow  one 


Introduction. 


after  another,  because  it  is  always  interesting 
to  read  of  human  nature,  and  more  than 
interesting  to  read  a  book  in  which  an  earnest 
soul  describes  the  consistent  devotion  of  all  his 
working  years.  Mr.  Tyler  is  the  son  of  Bennet 
Tyler,  d.d.,  of  wide  fame  as  a  teacher  and 
theologian.  Inheriting  much  of  his  father's 
power,  alluring  opportunities  of  usefulness  here 
were  presented  to  him.  But  he  was  possessed 
of  the  spirit  of  a  missionary  and  could  be  no- 
thing else  with  a  whole  heart.  There  were  no 
unconsecrated  reserves  in  his  nature.  He  was 
fitted  for  his  work  by  a  singularly  active  mind, 
a  tender  and  yearning  spirit,  humor,  common 
sense,  and  a  heart  loyal  to  Christ.  He  still 
calls  the  natives  his  people  ;  and  in  his  enforced 
absence,  though  with  children  and  friends, 
really  lives  among  the  Zulus.  "I  see  them 
every  Sunday,"  he  says,  "and  find  myself  in 
imagination  preaching  to  them  in  their  own 
language  the  wonderful  truths  of  God's  love." 

C.  M.  LAMSON,  D.D. 
St.  Johnsbury,  Vt. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  PAGE 

LEAVING  HOME. 

Choice  of  the  South  African  Mission.  —  Marriage 
and  Ordination. — Leaving  Home.  —  Stop  at 
Cape  Town.  —  Kev.  Dr.  Philip.  —Sight  of  Natal. 
—  Reception  by  Rev.  Daniel  Lindley.  —  Ride  in 
an  Ox-wagon 17 

CHAPTER  II. 

STUDY  OF  THE  LANGUAGE. 

Rev.  Newton  Adams,  m.d.,  and  wife.  —  Study  of 
the  Language.  —  Mistakes  in  Speaking  Zulu   .     .    29 

CHAPTER  HI. 

OUR  MISSION   STATION. 

Going  to  my  Station.  —  Mr.  Lindley  accompanies 
me.  —  Incidents  in  Mr.  Lindley's  Life.  —  View  of 
Esidumbini. —  Taking  Possession. —  Mrs.  Lindley    35 

CHAPTER  IV. 

LIFE  IN  A   KRAAL. 

Life  in  a  Zulu  Kraal.  —  How  the  Huts  are  made.— 
A  Zulu  Pantry.  —  Owner  of  the  Kraal  refuses 
to  have  a  Door  in  his  Hut.  —  Appeal  to  Ances- 
tral Custom. — Winning  the  Confidence  of  the 
People il 

CHAPTER  V. 

HOUSE  BUILDING. 

In  a  Dilemma.  —  Rev.  Aldin  Grout. —His  attempt 
to  Teach  a  King  his  Letters. — An  American 
Mail.  —  Mrs.  Tyler's  Feelings  in  view  of  the 

Work 48 

11 


1 2  Contents. 

CHAFrER  VI.  P^o" 

ZULU   DRESS. 

Zulu  Wardrobe.  —  Shaving  the  Head. —Head  Ring. 

—  Headdress  of  the  Women  and  Young  Men.  — 
Fondness  for  Ornaments 57 

ciiArrER  vn. 

im  FICI'LTIKS   KN COUNTERED. 

Reply  to  the  (^)ui'Stion,  ''Who  made  you":"'— The 
Great  Spirit.  —  Ignorance.  —  Selfishness.  —  Need 
of  Patience.  — My  "Better  Half."  — Zulu  Con- 
sciences   63 

CHAPTER  Vin. 

TOILINC,   AND   WAITING. 

Mrs.  Tyler's  Retrospect. —  Iluluuiene. —  Dambusa. — 
Muscular  Christianity. —  Gravity  Upset     ...     68 

CHAPTER  IX. 

WILD   ANIMALS. 

Buffaloes.  —  Umfulawe's  Narrow  Escape.  —  An 
P^nglishman's   Adventure.  —  Lions.  —  Leopards. 

—  Wild  Dogs.— Bal)oons 73 

CHAPTER  X. 

CROCODILES   AND  SNAKES. 

Butler's  Narrow  Escape. —  A  Dutcliman's  Adven- 
ture. —  Pythons.  —  Venomous  Serpents.  —  PuflF 
Adders.  — The  "  Imamba."  — Zulu  Carrying  a 
Serpent  on  his  Head.  —  Snakes  good  Rat- 
catchers.-Effect  of  Tobacco  on  Serpents. — 
Remedies  for  Snake-bites 83 

CHAPrER  XI. 

SPIRIT  WORSHIP. 

Doctors  of  Divination. —  "  Smellers  Out."  —  Zulu 
Prayers.  —  Sacrifices 93 


Contents.  13 

CHAPTER  XII.  PAGE 

ZULU   SUPERSTITIONS.  104 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

POLYGAMY  AND  OTHER  EVIL   PRACTICES. 

Chattelizing  of  Women.  —  Beer  Drinking.  —  Smoking 
Wild  Hemp 117 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

Church  Organized.  —  Prodigals  Returning.  —  Dam- 
busa  again.  — Experience  of  Young  Converts.  — 
Christianity  must  Precede  Civilization  ....  125 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  SABBATH   AT   ESIDUMBINI.  134 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

VISIT  TO   THE  UNITED   STATES. — NEW  WORK. 

Trial  of  leaving  Children  on  returning  to  Africa.  — 
Location  at  Umsunduzi. — Visiting  an  Out- 
station. —  Mrs.  Tyler's  Observations 140 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

EXPERIENCES   AT  UMSUNDUZI.  149 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

ZULU   CHURCHES. 

Disciplinable  Oflfenses  in  Zulu  Churches.  — Mission 
Rules.— Legislation  of  a  Native  Church.— 
Polygamous  Converts.  —  One  in  a  Dilemma   .     .  158 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

ZULU  CHRISTIANS. 

Their  Courage.  — Faith.  — Happy  Deaths     ....  163 


14  Contents. 


CHAFfER  XX.  rAGB 

ZULU   PREACHERS. 

Revs.  James  Dube  and  Ira  Adams.  — Umsingapansl. 
—  Cases  of  Lapse.  —  Specimens  of  Zulu  Ad- 
dresses     171 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

ZULU  CUSTOMS   AND   LAWS. 

Origin  of  the  Name  ''Kaffir.''  —  Similarity  of  Zulu 
and  Jewish  Customs.  —  Numher  of  Zulus  in 
Natal  in  1843  and  in  1889.  —  Regard  for  their 
Chiefs.  —  Independence.  —  Zulu  Lad's  Escape 
from  Cannibals 181 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

ZULU   CHARACTERISTICS. 

Physical  Strength  of  the  Zulus.  —  Politeness. — 
Love  of  Fun.  —  Skill  in  Debate.  —  Ingenuity. — 
Teachableness 188 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

ZULU   WEDDINGS   AND   FUNERALS. 

Cetywayo's  Marrying  his  Fifteenth  Wife.  —  Zulu 
Girls  "  Popping  the  Question."  —  Publicly 
Choosing  a  Husband.  —  Funeral  Ceremonies  .     .  199 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

ZULU   KINGS   AND   WARS. 

Chaka,  Dingaan,  Umpande,  Cetywayo.  —  Zulu  War 
in  186!)  and  1870. — Quarrel  between  Cetywayo 
and  Usibepu.  —  Death  of  the  Former. — Undini- 
zulu.  —  Rebellion  and  Sentence 212 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

ZULU  FOLKLORE.  229 


Contents.  15 

CHAPTER  XXVI.                          page 
DECEASED  AMERICAN  MISSIONARIES. 
Revs.   Champion,    Bryant,    Marsh,    McKinney    and 
wife,  Ireland,  Abraham  and  wife,  Wilder,  Stone, 
Lloyd   and    wife,    Robbing    and    wife,    Dohne, 
Pinkerton,  Butler,  Mrs.  Tyler 236 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

NATIVE  EDUCATION. 

Seminary  at  Adams.  —  "  Jubilee  Hall."  —  The  Theo- 
logical School.  — "luanda  Seminary." —"  Um- 
zumbe  Home."  —  Kraal  Schools.  —  Government 
Aid.  —  Books  in  the  Zulu  Language 253 

CHAPTER  XXVni. 

THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK. 

Semi-Centennial.  —  Past  and  Present  Laborers.— 
Condition  of  the  Field.  — E.  C.  A.  M.  — Other 
Societies.  —  Boer  Farm  Mission.  —  Trappists. — 
Missionary  Outlook.  —  Need  of  Help     ....  260 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

FACTS   CONCERNING  NATAL. 

When  Discovered. — Early  History.  —  Elysium  in 
South  Africa.  —  Climate.  —  Cost  of  Living. — 
Cattle  and  Sheep  Farming.  —  Pests.  —  Ticks  and 
White  Ants 269 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

PHYSICAL  FEATURES  AND  POLITICAL  AFFAIRS. 

Natal.  —  Durban. —  Maritzburg. —  Granite  Caves.  — 
Geological  Features.  —  Coal  Beds.  —  Flora 
Waterfalls.  — Escape  of  a  Dutchman.  — Political 
Affairs.  —  Imports  and  Exports.  —  Railways. — 
Native  Question 283 

APPENDIX. 

Later  Missions.  —  The  Zulu  Language.  —  The  Exiled 
Chiefs 295 


FORTY  YEARS  AMONG  THE  ZULUS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

LEAVING   HOME. 

WHEN  a  boy  I  loved  to  sing  "From 
Afric's  sunny  fountains,"  and  to  read 
of  Ledyard,  Muugo  Park,  and  other  intrepid 
African  explorers  ;  but  little  did  I  then  imag- 
ine that  I  should  make  the  Dark  Continent 
my  home  —  be  permitted  to  see  the  "king  of 
beasts"  walking  about  in  his  glory,  the  graceful 
antelope  bounding  from  cliff  to  cliff,  inhale  the 
odor  of  its  sweet  flowers,  bathe  in  its  rivers, 
eat  its  luscious  fruits,  admire  its  scenery,  and 
labor  twoscore  years  for  the  evangelization  of 
its  inhabitants.     But  it  has  been  even  so. 

What  led  me  to  select  South  Africa  as  my 
mission  field  may  be  briefly  stated.  While  a 
member  of  the  Theological  Institute  at  East 
Windsor  Hill,  Conn.,  I  belonged  to  a  mission- 
ary society,  the  members  of  which  agreed  to 
examine  carefully  the  claims  of  foreign  mis- 
sions, confer  with  each  other,  and  ask  the  Lord 
to  direct  them  as  to  their  future  fields  of  labor. 
Of  our  number,  Benton  went  to  Syria,  May- 
nard  to  Salonica,  and  Rood,  Wilder,  and  I  to 
South  Africa.     The  letters  of  Mr.  Rood  from 


18  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus, 

the  Zulu  Mission,  describing  the  language  and 
character  of  the  natives  and  urging  the  need 
of  help,  led  me  to  conclude  that  I  might  be 
useful  there,  and  on  applying  to  the  Prudential 
Committee  of  the  American  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners for  Foreign  Missions,  I  expressed  a 
preference  for  that  field.  If  I  had  received  the 
reply,  "  You  are  needed  elsewhere,"  I  should 
have  acquiesced.  The  hand  of  the  Lord  was 
upon  me  for  good,  and  his  guidance  was  clear 
in  the  selection  of  one  who  was  to  accompany 
me  and  share  my  solitude  among  the  heathen. 
At  my  brother's  parsonage,  at  Windham,  Conn., 
I  met  a  young  lady  whose  home  was  in  North- 
ampton, Mass.  If  the  consent  of  her  parents 
could  be  obtained,  she  promised  to  go  with  me. 
Tremblingly,  but  hopefully,  I  went  to  ask.  In 
considering  the  subject,  they  had  decided  to 
give  their  consent  provided  they  liked  the 
young  man,  and  on  condition  that  he  did  not  go 
to  Africa.  After  a  pleasant  interview  and  just 
as  I  was  leaving,  the  mother  inquired,  "  Mr. 
Tyler,  to  what  part  of  the  world  do  you  pro- 
pose going?"  "To  Africa,"  I  replied.  After 
a  pause  both  said,  "  We  have  forgotten  our 
conditions,  but  the  Lord  reigns.  It  is  evidently 
his  will  that  our  daughter  should  go  to  Africa." 
Those  good  people  never  regretted  the  choice  I 
had  made  of  the  Zulu  Mission. 

Some  months  intervened  between  graduation 
and  the  time  of  sailing,  and  instead  of  studying 
medicine,  as  I  should  have  done,  I  supplied  a 
pulpit  in    central    Massachusetts  and  received 


Leaving  Home.  19 


a  unanimous  call  to  settle  as  pastor.  Thank 
God,  I  did  not  waver  in  my  determination  to 
preach  the  gospel  to  the  heathen  !  Rather  sud- 
denly the  summons  came  from  Boston,  "  Get 
ready  at  once ;  a  ship  is  going  to  India  which 
will  stop  at  Cape  Town."  Hurrying  to  North- 
ampton, I  was  married  on  the  morning  of  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1849,  to  Miss  Susan  W.  Clark.  After 
the  wedding  breakfast,  and  singing 

"  Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds," 

followed  by  a  prayer,  —  only  a  part  of  which 
was  heard,  on  account  of  sobs  and  sighs,  too 
funeral -like  altogether,  —  we  started  for  East 
Windsor  Hill,  Conn.,  where  I  was  to  be 
ordained  the  next  day. 

Previous  to  the  marriage  I  was  asked  to  call 
on  the  family  physician,  who  had  known  my 
intended  wife  from  her  childhood  and  was  not 
at  all  pleased  with  the  idea  of  her  going  to  a 

heathen    land.      Rather    abruptly    Dr.    T 

inquired :  "  Are  you  the  young  man  who  is 
going  to  take  that  delicate  girl  to  Africa  ? " 
"  Yes,"  I  replied.  "  Well,"  said  he,  "  mark  my 
word :  she  will  not  live  a  year.  Here  is  a  box 
of  medicines  I  present  to  you.  Keep  her  alive 
as  long  as  you  can,  but  before  the  year  is  out  I 
shall  expect  to  hear  of  her  death."  Not  very 
comforting,  truly  ;  but  I  consoled  myself  with 
the  thought  that  not  all  physicians  are  infallible, 
and  down  in  my  heart  of  hearts  I  cherished  the 
hope  that  I  might  some  time  in  the  future 
present  that  "  delicate  girl  "  to  the  doctor  none 


20  Forty  Years  Amony  the  Zulus. 

the  worse  for  her  African  experience.  Twenty- 
tkree  years  later  we  revisited  Northampton  witli 
our  six  children,  all  healthy,  white  Africans ; 
but  the  doctor  himself  had  passed  away. 

The  ordination  service  was  rather  more 
solemn  than  is  usual  now  on  such  occasions. 
It  was  difficult  to  make  people  believe  that 
there  was  a  single  bright  spot  in  Africa. 
The  prevalent  feeling  was  that  we  were  going 
to  our  graves.  What  made  the  ordination,  in 
ray  case,  peculiarly  pathetic  was  the  fact  that 
those  who  took  part  in  it  were  near  relatives. 
My  brother-in-law  preached  the  sermon,  my 
father  gave  the  charge,  and  m}'  own  brother 
the  right  hand  of  fellowship.  Their  addresses 
were  published  in  a  pamphlet  form,  and  often, 
while  engaged  in  mission  work,  I  derived 
strength  from   their  heartfelt  utterances. 

My  own  relatives,  as  well  as  those  of  my 
wife,  placed  no  obstacles  in  the  way  of  our 
going.  The  language  of  their  hearts  and  lips 
was,  "  Go,  and  the  Lord  be  with  you."  Some 
years  after,  my  honored  father  remarked  at  a 
meeting  of  the  American  Board,  of  which  he 
was  a  corporate  member :  "  I  have  six  children, 
and  they  all  are  a  comfort  to  me ;  but  none  of 
them  is  so  great  a  comfort  as  that  son  who 
is  your  missionary  among  the  Zulus  in  South 
Africa.  He  is  a  beloved  son  and  his  wife  is 
a  beloved  daughter ;  but  if  God  will  give  them 
health  to  continue  their  labors  I  do  not  wish 
to  see  them  again  until  I  shall  meet  them  in 
heaven." 


Leaving  Home.  21 


Ordination  over,  we  hurried  to  Boston  to 
sail  in  the  ship  Concordia,  bound  to  India 
by  way  of  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Our  fellow- 
passengers,  Rev.  Hyman  A.  Wilder  and  Rev. 
Andrew  Abraham,  with  their  wives,  were 
designated  like  ourselves  to  the  Zulu  Mission. 
We  were  fortunate  in  having  a  large  ship,  com- 
fortable accommodations,  and  an  agreeable 
captain.  Vessels  bound  to  South  Africa  in 
those  days  wer§  scarce.  They  could  hardly  be 
found  in  sufficient  numbers  to  take  emigrants 
to  the  gold  fields  of  California.  The  cargo  to 
be  landed  at  Cape  Town  consisted  of  flour  and 
the  first  load  of  ice  ever  shipped  to  that  port. 
The  Dutch  farmers  residing  there  had  not 
learned  to  appreciate  such  a  luxury,  and  it 
proved  an  unprofitable  speculation.  Having 
received  our  instructions  in  due  form  in  Park 
Street  Church,  we  awaited  the  time  of  our 
departure,  but  lo  !  the  cargo  was  not  in  the 
hold,  the  precise  day  could  not  be  fixed,  rela- 
tives could  not  wait  to  see  us  off,  and  we  our- 
selves, becoming  tired  of  Boston,  revisited  our 
homes,  having  to  go  through  another  edition  of 
Baxter's  Last  Words.  When  we  did  sail  at 
last,  after  a  fervent  prayer  in  the  ship's  cabin, 
there  were  two  persons  on  whom  our  eyes 
were  fixed,  a  dear  brother  and  sister  who 
lingered  on  the  wharf  to  catch  the  last  sight 
of  those  whom  they  never  expected  to  see 
again  in  this  world.  Straining  my  eyes  as 
long  as  possible,  I  was  suddenly  surprised  by 
a  rap  on  the  shoulders,  with  an  interrogatory 


22  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 


from  Wilder,  my  classmate  and  missionary 
brother :  —  "  Tyler,  are  you  not  glad  you  are 
out  of  the  dusty  streets  of  Boston  ?  "  As  Bun- 
ker Hill  Monument  grew  smaller  in  the  dis- 
tance, we  began  to  prepare  for  seasickness, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  we  could  each  of 
us  say  as  did  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  when  he 
described  that  malady,  "  I  felt  —  I  felt  —  I  felt 
—  with  a  great  deal  of  feeling."  My  wife  was 
a  terrible  sufferer,  growing  weaker  and  weaker, 
until  the  captain  alarmed  me  by  saying,  "  If 
you  don't  do  something  for  Mrs.  Tyler,  we  shall 
have  to  bury  her  in  the  ocean."  A  powerful 
tonic  set  her  right,  and  the  voyage,  though  a 
long  one,  was  on  the  whole  pleasant. 

At  Cape  Town  we  met  with  the  kindest 
of  friends.  A  letter  of  introduction  from  Dr. 
Carruthers,  of  Portland,  Maine,  to  his  old 
friend  and  brother  Scotchman,  Dr.  Philip, 
superintendent  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society  in  South  Africa,  was  a  passport  for 
Mrs.  Tyler  and  myself,  to  a  residence  at  the 
"mission  house."  Said  Dr.  Philip,  "  The  bed- 
room you  will  occupy  is  that  in  which  Dr. 
Vanderkemp,  Robert  Moffat,  Livingstone,  and 
other  distinguished  missionaries  have  slept." 
Though  the  doctor  was  aged  and  feeble,  he 
had  lost  none  of  his  Scottish  wit  and  humor. 
He  was  a  stanch  Puritan,  and  sympathized 
heartily  with  the  "old  school"  theology  of 
New  England. 

Three  weeks  of  delightful  intercourse  with 
the    Christian   people    of    Cape    Town    passed 


Leaving  Home.  23 


swiftly  by,  and  then  it  was  announced  that 
the  schooner  Gem  was  ready  to  sail  to  Natal. 
In  it  we  embarked,  but  alas,  what  a  misnomer! 
A  more  untidy  and  uncomfortable  craft  I  never 
saw.  The  voyage  up  the  coast  was  long  and 
stormy ;  the  captain  a  drunkard,  and  incapable 
half  of  the  time.  I  doubt  whether  gladder 
emotions  sprang  up  in  the  heart  of  Vasco  da 
Gama  when  he  sighted  Tierra  Del  Natalis 
on  Christmas  day  than  did  in  ours  when  we 
heard  it  said,  "  There  is  the  bluff  overhanging 
the  harbor  of  Natal."  Jubilant  were  we  in  the 
prospect  of  setting  our  feet  on  dry  land,  but 
our  ardor  was  soon  cooled  by  the  words  of  the 
mate :  "  Don't  be  impatient ;  there  is  a  bar  to 
cross,  and  going  over  it  is  no  joke."  The 
sandbar,  which  choked  the  entrance  of  the  har- 
bor at  that  time,  was  truly  formidable.  There 
were  only  eight  feet  of  water  at  high  tide ;  the 
waves  beat  furiously  over  it,  and  accidents 
frequently  occurred.  Captain  Homes,  from 
America,  crossing  with  his  vessel  a  short  time 
before  our  arrival,  had  the  misfortune  to  see 
his  own  brother  washed  overboard,  and  before 
help  could  be  rendered  become  the  prey  of 
a  shark.  We  were  told  that  the  safest  way  for 
us  was  to  go  below  and  be  shut  up  in  the  cabin, 
or  we  might  share  the  same  fate.  Mr.  Abra- 
ham and  the  ladies  did  so,  but  Mr.  Wilder  and 
myself  chose  to  cling  to  the  rigging.  The 
Gem  thumped  several  times  on  the  bar,  and 
was  for  a  short  time  in  danger  of  stranding,  but 
no   harm   befell  us,  and  in   an    hour   we    cast 


24  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

anchor  in  the  most  beautifully  sheltered,  land- 
locked harbor  on  the  southeastern  coast  of 
Africa. 

A  boat  immediately  set  off  from  the  shore, 
and  in  it  we  were  glad  to  see  a  gentleman  who, 
we  were  told,  was  the  Rev.  Daniel  Lindley. 
This  pioneer  missionary  had  sent  to  America  a 
call  for  help,  saying,  "  Come  to  our  assistance. 
We  will  receive  you  as  kindly  as  we  know  how. 
In  us,  if  it  be  possible,  you  shall  find  the 
brothers  and  sisters  you  may  leave  behind." 
The  warm  welcome  he  gave  us,  "  to  the  joys 
and  toils  of  the  African  vineyard,"  made  a 
deep  impression  on  our  hearts.  I  recall  a 
rather  brusque  reply  to  a  question  I  put  to 
him,  pointing  to  a  party  of  Zulu  men,  semi- 
nude,  and  armed  with  clubs  and  spears,  "Is  it 
safe  to  dwell  among  this  people  ?  "  "  Brother 
Tyler,"  was  the  answer,  "you  are  safer  here 
than  in  the  streets  of  Boston."  It  was  difficult 
then  to  realize  the  truth  of  that  observation, 
but  subsequent  experience  proved  that  the 
good  brother  was  right,  and  that  life  and  prop- 
erty are  more  secure  in  a  state  of  pure  barbar- 
ism than  in  a  state  of  godless  civilization. 

Our  wives,  I  remember,  were  fearfully 
shocked  by  the  sight  of  the  savage-looking 
natives,  and  doubtless  sympathized  with  the 
pioneer  missionary  ladies  to  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  who,  when  they  saw  the  islanders  for 
the  first  time,  shut  themselves  up  in  their 
cabins,  saying,  "  We  cannot  live  among  such 
people." 


Leaving  Home.  25 

Durban,  the  seaport  town  of  Natal,  named 
after  Sir  Benjamin  D'Urban,  late  governor  at 
the  Cape,  was  then  a  plain  of  sand.  Only  a 
few  European  families  made  their  homes  there, 
residing  in  wattle  and  daub  houses ;  that  is, 
dwellings  made  of  twigs  woven  in  and  out 
of  the  posts  and  plastered  with  mud.  No 
hotel  existed,  and  but  two  or  three  stores,  in 
which  articles  were  sold  at  exorbitant  prices. 
Just  above  the  town  was  a  large  bush  or  jun- 
gle, called  the  "  Berea "  by  Captain  Allen 
Gardner,  a  philanthropic  Englishman  who  once 
endeavored  to  establish  a  school  there.  When 
we  first  saw  it,  there  were  neither  European 
nor  Zulu  dwellings;  but  elephants,  lions,  leop- 
ards, and  other  wild  animals  made  it  their 
habitat.  G.  C.  Cato,  Esq.,  American  consul, 
banker,  merchant,  and  general  adviser,  some- 
what rough  in  speech  and  manner,  but  kind- 
hearted  and  helpful,  treated  us  most  hospitably. 

But  we  did  not  remain  in  Durban  longer 
than  was  necessary  to  store  our  possessions  in 
a  warehouse,  and  were  then  ready  for  the 
wagon  which  came  to  take  us  to  the  mission 
station,  located  on  a  pretty  river  called  Aman- 
zimtote  (Sweet  Water).  We  were  to  take  our 
first  ride  in  a  South  African  wagon,  and  I  must 
describe  that  institution.  It  is  a  huge  vehi- 
cle, on  four  immense  wheels  without  springs, 
the  body  ten  feet  long,  with  a  tent  made  of 
poles  bent  over,  the  ends  of  which  are  inserted 
in  staples  on  the  sides.  Grass  mats,  painted 
canvas,  and  over  all  another  piece  of  canvas 


26  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

unpainted,  constitute  the  covering.  This  is 
tied  to  the  sides  of  the  wagon,  and  at  night  the 
ends  are  let  down  and  fastened  to  the  wheels. 
Inside  is  what  is  called  in  Natal,  a  kartell 
simply  a  bed  frame,  made  of  four  poles  laced 
with  strings  of  cow  hide.  On  this  is  placed 
the  mattress,  for  the  wagon  is  the  bedroom 
as  well  as  the  coach  and  parlor  of  the  African 
missionary  and  traveler.  Six  or  seven  yoke 
of  oxen,  or  a  span,  are  considered  necessary 
to  draw  this  vehicle.  Newcomers  are  disposed 
to  pronounce  it  a  cumbersome  affair  and 
behind  the  age ;  but  they  generally  modify 
their  opinion  after  a  few  months  of  travel  over 
the  rough  roads  of  the  country.  The  ox  yoke 
is  peculiar,  being  a  pole  about  five  feet  long, 
three  inches  in  diameter,  and  having  four 
mortises  to  receive  the  keys,  which  take  the 
place  of  bows  in  civilized  countries.  Each  has 
a  knob  on  the  top  to  keep  it  from  dropping 
through  the  mortise,  and  two  notches  on  the 
outer  edge,  into  one  of  which  a  strap  is  fas- 
tened, coming  under  the  neck  to  keep  the  oxen 
in  the  3^oke.  This  strap  is  made  of  buffalo 
hide  with  a  loop  at  each  end  to  fit  it  to  the  key. 
American  farmers  would  laugh  at  this  make- 
shift affair,  but  should  they  try  it  a  while  they 
would  adopt  it,  if  they  had  much  to  do  with 
African  bullocks. 

Each  wagon  has  a  driver  and  "  forelooper," 
or  person  to  lead  the  oxen.  The  whip  is  of 
sea-cow's  hide,  the  size  of  a  man's  finger,  four 
or   five   yards   long,   to    the   end    of  which   is 


Leaving  Home.  27 


attached  a  piece  of  buck's  skin.  The  whip- 
stock  is  the  upper  part  of  a  bamboo  cane,  fif- 
teen feet  long,  A  dextrous  driver  soon  im- 
presses each  ox  in  the  span  with  a  sense  of 
its  responsibility,  besides  making  the  "  welkin 
ring"  with  a  crack  which  on  a  still  day  is 
often  mistaken  in  the  distance  for  that  of  a 
rifle.  A  more  exciting  spectacle  I  have  rarely 
seen  than  that  of  three  spans  united,  forty- 
eight  oxen  in  all,  pulling  a  loaded  wagon  out 
of  a  bog,  or  up  a  steep  hill,  the  drivers  shout- 
ing and  cracking  their  whips  most  furiously. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilder  were  to  accompany  us 
to  Amanzimtote,  on  their  way  to  the  Ifumi  sta- 
tion, and  we  prepared  to  take  our  first  ride  in 
Africa.  "Start  early,"  said  Mr.  Cato,  "for 
you  may  have  to  ride  in  the  dark."  At  six 
in  the  morning  we  said  good-by  to  Durban, 
and  launched  out  into  what  to  us  were  un- 
known wilds.  Neither  the  driver  nor  leader 
understood  a  word  of  English,  and  as  we  did 
not  know  Zulu  we  obtained  no  information 
from  our  sable  attendants.  After  a  trek^  or 
journey  of  ten  miles,  we  "  outspanned,"  that  is, 
unyoked,  the  oxen,  to  let  them  feed,  and  also 
to  refresh  ourselves.  In  the  wagon  chest  we 
found  all  that  was  requisite  :  a  kettle,  matches, 
dishes,  knives,  forks,  bread,  butter,  tea,  coffee, 
sugar,  etc.  Mrs.  Adams  knew  what  we  needed 
and  had  kindly  provided  for  us.  This  was  the 
first  picnic  we  enjoyed  in  South  Africa,  an 
antepast  of  many  similar  ones  in  the  future. 
At  three  P.M.  we  started,  but  were  soon  obliged 


28  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

to  halt.  The  oxen,  unable  to  pull  the  heavy 
wagon  up  a  sandy  hill,  were  turned  out  to 
graze.  The  sun  beginning  to  sink  behind  the 
horizon,  I  remember  debating  with  brother 
Wilder  as  to  which  one  of  us  should  keep 
watch  at  night,  with  a  loaded  rifle,  to  defend 
the  part}-  from  wild  beasts.  Our  hearts  were 
soon  gladdened  by  the  unexpected  arrival  of  a 
new  span  of  fresh  and  strong  bullocks,  sent 
by  Dr.  Adams  to  our  relief.  A  new  driver  also 
came,  who  could  speak  a  little  English.  "  Are 
you  the  new  missionaries?  How  do  you  like 
our  country?"  etc.  The  wagon  was  set  in 
motion  and  at  nine  o'clock  a  light  was  pointed 
out  to  us  as  that  of  Dr.  Adams'  house.  The 
welcome  we  received  more  than  paid  us  for  all 
our  fatigue. 


CHAPTER   II. 

STUDY   OF   THE   LANGUAGE. 

AN  own  brother  and  sister  could  not  have 
made  our  stay  at  Amanziratote  more 
pleasant  than  did  Dr.  Adams  and  his  wife. 
Unremitting  in  their  kindness  to  us  in  all 
things,  they  helped  us  especially  to  get  a  good 
start  in  the  acquisition  of  the  Zulu  dialect. 
They  were  model  missionaries.  Of  the  pioneer 
band  which  left  America  in  1834,  they  had 
clung  to  the  Zulu  field  in  the  midst  of  great 
discouragements.  More  indefatigable  laborers 
in  the  mission  field  I  have  never  known. 
They  wrote  but  little  for  The  Missionary 
Herald,  and  on  that  account  Christians  in  this 
country  knew  little  of  them  and  their  work. 
The  doctor's  knowledge  of  medicine  and  uni- 
form readiness  to  help  the  bodies  of  the 
natives  won  for  him  easy  access  to  their 
hearts.  He  gained  their  confidence  and  affec- 
tion. From  a  distance  of  forty  or  fifty  miles 
they  came  to  him  for  consultation  and  help. 
Improving  every  oj)portunity  to  sow  the  good 
seed,  he  saw  that  they  carried  it  with  them 
to  their  homes,  and  in  after  years  the  fruits 
appeared.  That  the  natives  trusted  him  to 
a  remarkable  degree  is  evident  from  the  fact 
that  on  one  occasion,  when  they  were  inclined 


30  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 


to  rebel  against  the  English  government,  their 
chiefs  were  sent  to  talk  with  tlie  doctor  and 
obtain  his  advice  before  taking  up  arms. 
Listening  patiently  to  all  their  complaints,  he 
questioned  them  as  to  what  would  be  the 
result  of  the  rebellion ;  suggested  the  loss  of 
life  and  property  that  would  follow,  and 
opened  their  eyes  to  some  aspects  of  the  case 
which  they  had  not  considered.  Putting  their 
hands  to  their  mouths  in  Zulu  fasliion,  when 
new  liglit  breaks  in  upon  their  minds,  they 
acknowledged  the  wisdom  of  their  teacher  and 
went  home  resolved  to  keep  quiet.  I  am  glad 
to  say  that  Sir  Tlieophilus  Shepstone,  secretary 
for  native  affairs  in  Natal,  took  notice  of  this 
act,  and  thanked  Dr.  Adams  most  heartily  for 
saving  the  colony  from  war. 

Dr.  Adams  labored  eleven  years  before  he 
saw  any  fruit.  The  first  individual  to  come 
out  of  heathenism — indeed  the  first  Zulu 
convert — was  Umbulazi,  a  woman  who  had 
fled  from  her  kraal  to  the  mission  station  in 
a  state  of  starvation.  She  often  said  to  Mrs. 
Adams,  "  God  jaised  me  from  tlie  dust  of  the 
earth.  When  I  first  came  to  you,  I  was  eating 
herbs  and  grass,  because  I  could  get  nothing 
else.  I  cared  for  nobody  and  nobody  cared 
for  me ;  but  the  Lord  told  me  to  go  to  the 
missionary  and  he  would  help  me." 

The  image  of  that  mother  lises  before  me. 
A  poor  woman,  depressed  by  cruel  treatment 
and  disowned  by  her  nearest  friends,  had  heard 
tliis  inissionary  preach  the  gospel  of  love,  and 


Study  of  the  Language.  31 

thinking  that  the  bearer  of  such  a  message 
must  be  merciful  to  her,  an  outcast,  threw 
herself  down  at  his  door,  wheie  he  found  her, 
with  her  little  son  on  her  back,  waiting  for 
admittance.  Her  whole  appearance  and  man- 
ners were  repulsive,  but  the  longing  for  sym- 
pathy and  love  which  her  words  indicated  was 
fully  met  by  those  faithful  workers  for  Christ. 
They  had  prayed  and  labored  that  even  one 
soul  might  be  given  them,  and  what  joy  they 
must  have  felt  when  after  much  instruction 
the  light  of  the  gospel  seemed  to  dawn  on  her 
dark  mind.  Then  she  stood  forth  alone,  a 
professed  believer  in  that  new  faith,  which  was 
her  comfort  and  support  for  nearly  thirty 
years,  until  death  reunited  her  to  those  sainted 
ones  who  had  guided  her  to  heaven.  The  last 
time  I  saw  her  in  her  feebleness  and  blindness, 
she  took  my  hand  and  said,  "  I  am  ready  to 
go  home  to  my  father  and  mother,"  meaning 
the  missionary  and  his  wife.  "The  Lord  has 
been  good  to  me.  He  has  permitted  me  to  see 
great  things."  Is  it  not  interesting  to  remem- 
ber that  the  light  of  the  gospel  first  shone  in 
a  woman's  heart  among  the  Zulus  ? 

The  next  convert  was  a  woman  with  whom 
Umbulazi  was  accustomed  to  pray  in  a  cluster 
of  bushes  near  the  station.  Still  another 
woman,  who  was  trying  to  become  a  witch 
doctress,  came  to  the  station,  and  was  soon 
"  clothed  and  in  her  right  mind."  Mrs.  Adams 
remarked  in  regard  to  her,  "  The  last  time  I 
saw  that  woman,  T  said   to  myself.   '  You  are 


32  Forty  Years  Amon<j  the  Zulus. 

a  hopeless  case,  surely,' "  At  the  time  of  our 
visit  at  Amauzimtote,  there  was  considerable 
religious  interest,  and  the  hearts  of  those  faith- 
ful workers  were  greatly  encouraged.  At  a 
communion  season  which  we  attended  seven 
persons  were  received  into  church  fellowship. 
The  sermon  that  day  was  on  the  text,  "  Fear  not, 
little  Hock,"  etc.  As  it  was  in  Zulu  I  could 
not  understand  it ;  but  the  deep  attention  given, 
and  tears  that  occasionally  trickled  down  the 
cheeks  of  the  auditors,  showed  that  it  made 
a  deep  impression. 

Dr.  Adams  died  in  1851,  of  overwork,  at 
the  age  of  forty-five,  and  was  buried  at  the 
station  which  now  bears  his  name.  Mrs. 
Adams  remained  in  the  field  five  years  after 
the  death  of  her  husband,  and  then,  on  account 
of  failing  health,  returned  to  this  country. 
She  always  looked  back  on  her  life  in  Africa 
with  joy,  and  on  the  morning  of  her  last  day 
on  earth  spoke  of  her  love  for  the  missionary 
band  there  and  for  the  Zulu  people.  She 
died  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Both  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Adams  laid  a  broad  and  deep  foundation  for 
the  future.  Who  can  doubt  that  their  reward 
in  heaven  is  great  ? 

We  should  have  been  glad  to  remain  with 
those  good  missionaries  a  year  at  least,  to 
become  imbued  with  their  spirit,  and  so  accus- 
tomed to  their  modus  operandi  in  mission  work 
that  we  could  reflect  it  in  after  life.  But  the 
custom  in  those  days  was  to  send  newcomers, 
as  soon  as   possible,   to   their   stations,   so   we 


Study  of  the  Language.  33 

addressed  ourselves,  with  all  our  might,  to  the 
mastery  of  the  language.  No  grammar  or 
dictionary  had  been  published.  Only  a  few 
words  had  been  collected  to  aid  in  the  forma- 
tion of  sentences.  The  regularity  and  flexi- 
bility of  the  dialect  struck  us  at  first  with  sur- 
prise and  pleasure,  and  the  more  we  studied  it, 
the  more  we  admired  it.  It  is,  like  the  Italian, 
abounding  in  vowels,  and  is  both  pleasing  to 
the  ear  and  easy  to  speak.  There  is  great 
poverty  of  words  expressing  moral  thoughts, 
but  this  is  not  surprising  when  we  consider  the 
absence  of  such  thoughts  in  the  native  mind. 

Mr.  Grout  doubts  "if  the  German,  Greek, 
or  any  other  language  can  exceed  the  Zulu  in 
the  scope  and  liberty  it  gives  for  the  formation 
of  derivative  words." 

The  names  of  persons  in  Zulu  are  derived 
from  circumstances  connected  with  their  birth. 
For  instance,  if  a  small  snake  happens  to  be 
seen  or  killed  when  a  boy  is  born  he  is  called 
Unyokana,  "  a  little  snake.'  If  honey  is  plenti- 
ful at  such  a  time,  the  child  is  named  Unyosi, 
the  name  of  that  luxury.  Should  the  infant 
be  a  large  one  he  receives  the  appellation  Uu- 
gagumuntu,  "as  large  as  a  man."  If  there 
happens  to  be  a  fire  at  his  birth,  the  babe  is 
named  Unomlilo,  "  with  fire." 

The  time  required  to  learn  the  language  so 
as  to  be  understood  by  the  natives  depends 
on  the  facility  one  has  for  the  acquisition  of 
foreign  tongues.  Missionaries  in  Natal  have 
been  known  to  preach  in  Zulu  six  months  after 


34  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

their  arrival.  A  year  or  more  is  required 
before  one  can  catch  what  the  natives  say, 
they  speak  so  rapidly.  Zulus  are  remarkably 
patient,  and  do  not  laugh  at  mistakes  made  by 
young  missionaries  unless  they  are  calculated 
to  provoke  their  risibilities  beyond  control. 
One  who,  perhaps,  began  to  preach  too  early 
had  confounded  the  word  lalani,  meaning  "  go 
to  sleep,"  with  lalelani,  signifying  "  give  at- 
tention." He  began  his  sermon  one  Sunday 
with  the  former,  '•'-Lalani,  nonke  (Go  to  sleep,  all 
of  you)."  Another  missionary,  in  giving  direc- 
tions to  a  native  lad  in  reference  to  knocking 
to  pieces  some  hard  sods  in  the  field,  used  the 
word  for  wizards,  ahatagati  instead  of  amaga- 
hati  (sods),  saying,  "  Hamba  u  tyaye  ahatagati 
(Go  and  knock  the  wizards  in  pieces)."  The 
boy  thought  a  difficult  task  was  assigned  him. 
The  wife  of  a  missionary,  wishing  to  have  a 
young  man  kill  two  ducks,  had  not  noticed 
that  the  word  for  men  differed  from  that  for 
ducks  in  one  letter :  Amadoda  (rhen),  amadada 
(ducks).  She  said  to  him,  '•'- Hamba  hulala  ama- 
doda amabili  (Go  and  kill  two  men)."  The 
young  man  looking  up  with  a  smile  asked, 
"Which  men  shall  I  kill?" 


Rev.  Daniel  Lindley. 


CHAPTER   III. 

OUR   MISSION   STATION. 

I  HAVE  described  the  ox-wagon,  a  large 
affair,  but  none  too  large  for  the  mission- 
ary's needs.  Nor  are  the  oxen  required  to 
draw  it  (twelve  or  fourteen  in  number)  too 
many  for  the  rough  roads,  steep  hills,  and  sandy 
beds  of  the  rivers.  In  addition  to  furniture, 
dishes,  food,  and  clothing,  it  was  necessary  to 
take  tools  for  house  building.  I  was  fortunate 
in  having  for  a  companion  and  adviser  the  good 
brother  who  gave  us  such  a  warm  reception 
when  we  landed.  Mr.  Lindley  had  said,  "I 
will  see  you  settled  in  your  new  home ; "  and 
his  experience  and  tact  were  of  incalculable 
help.  Esidumbini  lay  fifty  miles  north  of 
Durban,  and  that  was  my  nearest  market  and 
post  office.  We  were  three  days  on  the  jour- 
ney, but  the  trip  was  enlivened  by  the  narra- 
tive Mr.  Lindley  gave  of  incidents  connected 
with  his  early  life  and  African  experiences, 
which  I  will  briefly  record.  When  the  Ameri- 
can Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Mis- 
sions decided  to  establish  a  mission  in  South 
Africa,  among  the  six  heroic  young  men  who 
responded  to  the  call  was  the  son  of  Rev. 
Jacob  Lindley,  D.D.,  an  eminent  Presbyterian 
minister.     That   son    was  Daniel,   and    at   the 

35 


36  Forty  Yearn  Among  the  Zulus. 


time  he  was  pastor  of  a  church  in  North  Caro- 
lina. His  people,  some  of  them  slaveholders, 
were  ardently  attached  to  him,  and  when  they 
received  the  tidings  that  he  had  decided  to  go 
to  Africa,  it  is  hard  to  say  which  predominated, 
astonishment  or  indignation.  I  asked  him  how 
he  succeeded  in  getting  away.  He  replied,  "  1 
preached  four  sermons  on  the  kingdom  of  God, 
and  one  on  the  Great  Commission,  and  if  ever 
I  preached  from  my  heart  T  did  then.  My 
people  saw  that  tlie  call  was  from  God,  and 
gave  me  up,  saying,  '  It  is  His  will  that  you 
should  go.' " 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  no  careful  history 
has  been  published  of  Mr.  Lindley's  labors, 
trials,  narrow  escapes,  disappointments  at  first, 
but  afterwards  encouragements.  Had  he  com- 
mitted to  paper  his  experiences,  as  he  occasion- 
ally gave  them  in  public  and  private,  tliey 
would  have  been  quite  as  interesting  and 
romantic  as  those  of  Rev.  Robert  Moffat. 

Of  this  lamented  brother,  considered  as  a 
preacher  or  platform  speaker,  I  am  not  in  dan- 
ger of  speaking  too  highly.  Manj'-  in  the 
United  States  who  heard  him  have  said  that 
no  foreign  missionary  surpassed  him.  Owing 
to  a  keen  knowledge  of  human  nature,  he 
seemed  to  know  just  what  to  say  to  interest  an 
audience,  and  was  always  adequate  to  the  occa- 
sion. As  a  hint  of  the  kind  of  missionary 
addresses  best  adapted  to  interest  and  edify 
public  audiences,  he  related  an  incident  which 
came  under  his   own    observation.     Seated   in 


Our  Mission  Station.  37 

the  vestry  of  a  church  in  Connecticut,  previous 
to  entering  the  pulpit,  the  pastor  asked  him 
upon  what  he  was  about  to  speak.  Mr.  Lincl- 
ley  replied  that  he  always  aimed  in  his  mission- 
ary addresses  to  tell  the  audience  about  the 
people  among  whom  he  labored,  their  customs, 
worship,  etc.,  and  the  nature  of  his  work  among 

them.     Said  Dr. :  "  I  am  glad  to  hear  you 

say  this,  for  a  few  months  ago  we  had  here  a 
missionary  from  India  who  occupied  a  full  horn- 
in  trying  to  show  my  people  how  they  might 
save  money  for  the  heathen.  One  of  my  dea- 
cons, a  shrewd  merchant,  came  to  me  and  said : 
'  We  Yankees  do  not  need  to  be  told  how  to 
save  money,  but  how  to  use  it.' " 

When  it  was  decided  that  Mr.  Lindley  return 
to  America  to  spend  the  evening  of  his  days, 
there  was  great  mourning  on  the  part  of  his 
friends,  black  and  white.  At  the  farewell 
meeting,  one  of  the  native  preachers,  in  a  most 
pathetic  address,  said :  "  We  have  met  to  bury 
our  father  and  mother.  Our  missionary  knows 
all,  from  the  governor  to  the  poorest  man,  and 
he  is  called  by  all '  father.'  His  wife  has  taught 
our  wives,  and  by  precept  upon  precept  and  an 
unwavering  example  of  goodness  and  faithful- 
ness, has  done  her  work  for  Christ."  A  collec- 
tion was  then  taken  up  of  one  hundred  dollars, 
which  was  sent  to  America,  to  be  held  in  trust 
to  "  bury  their  father  and  mother,  when  they 
should  die."  A  clergyman  in  New  York  City 
spoke  truly  when  he  said,  "Such  demonstra- 
tions from  such  a  source   are   infinitely  more 


38  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

honorable  to  humanity  and  America,  as  nobly 
represented  by  her  missionary,  than  all  the 
victories  that  British  soldiers  have  won  in  Asia 
or  Africa  since  Warren  Hastings  became  master 
of  India." 

Our  ride  to  Esidumbini  in  an  ox-wagon  was 
to  me,  a  newcomer,  full  of  interest.  Occasion- 
ally a  large  inhlaivju  (reed  buck)  of  a  gray, 
ashy  color,  with  its  beautiful  horns  measuring 
fifteen  inches  or  more  from  tip  to  tip,  would 
jump  out  of  the  long  grass,  run  a  distance  of 
fifty  yards,  then  stop,  turn  around  and  look  at 
us.  Mr.  Lindley  was  not  slow  to  seize  his  rifle, 
and  the  poor  buck  paid  the  penalty  of  having 
gazed  too  long  at  the  disturbers  of  his  quiet. 
So  numerous  were  antelopes  of  various  kinds 
and  sizes,  that  there  was  no  necessity  to  go  out 
of  our  way  for  them.  Stopping  at  a  Dutch- 
man's farm  the  last  day  of  our  ride,  he  sur- 
prised me  by  giving  away  all  the  venison  we 
had  in  the  wagon.  When  I  asked  him  what 
we  should  eat,  he  replied,  "  I  will  shoot  another 
buck  to-morrow  morning."  He  was  as  good  as 
his  word.  About  sunrise,  as  I  was  boiling  the 
kettle  for  our  coffee,  I  lieard  the  report  of  a 
rifle,  and  then  a  voice  saying,  "Send  the 
natives  for  a  buck  I  have  killed."  It  was  a 
fine  animal,  weighing  about  one  hundred 
pounds. 

On  a  beautiful  afternoon  we  came  in  sight  of 
my  future  home.  The  air  was  clear,  and,  as 
we  reached  the  end  of  a  long  table-land,  a  deep 
and  wide  valley,  filled    with   undulating   hills 


Our  Mission  Station.  39 

and  winding  streams  with  an  occasional  water- 
fall, suddenly  opened  on  our  view.  On  one 
side  was  a  dense  thicket  sloping  toward  a 
river  six  miles  distant,  where  elephants,  lions, 
buffaloes,  leopards,  hyenas,  and  other  wild 
beasts  held  undisputed  sway.  In  the  kloofs,  or 
ravines,  were  trees  of  considerable  size,  but  the 
hills  abounded  with  the  low,  prickly  mimosa, 
amid  which  we  discerned  clusters  of  native  huts. 

How  to  descend  into  this  valley  from  the 
table-land,  with  no  wagon  path,  was  a  puzzling 
question.  Ledges  of  rock  occasioned  great  risk 
of  upsetting  the  wagon.  As  a  native  boy  led 
the  oxen  by  the  strap  attached  to  their  horns, 
we  helped  to  keep  them  from  going  too  fast  by 
throwing  stones  at  their  heads  shouting,  "  Ah, 
now !  Ah,  now ! "  and  as  the  sun  was  sinking 
behind  the  horizon  we  outspanned  by  the  side 
of  a  beautiful  stream. 

Before  making  preparations  for  supper,  Mr. 
Lindley  said  to  me,  "  Brother  Tyler,  this  valley 
is  to  be  your  home.  Let  us  take  possession  of 
it  in  the  name  of  King  Immanuel."  We  knelt 
on  the  ground  by  the  side  of  the  wagon,  and 
a  prayer  ascended  to  heaven  from  the  lips  of 
that  good  missionary  which  I  shall  never  forget. 
It  was  that  his  young,  inexperienced  brother 
might  at  all  times  "  have  an  untiring  patience 
and  an  unwavering  faith,"  qualities  which  I 
found  essential  in  my  subsequent  career.  After 
a  day  or  two  of  advice  and  assistance,  Mr. 
Lindley  returned  home,  and  I  was  thrown  upon 
my  own  resources. 


40  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

It  is  impossible  to  write  of  Mr.  Lindley,  and 
not  mention  his  wife,  one  of  the  most  devoted 
missionary  ladies  who  ever  set  foot  on  African 
soil.  Belonging  to  the  pioneer  band,  Mrs. 
Lindley  suffered  great  privations  and  hard- 
ships, but  throughout  all  she  labored  inces- 
santly and  always  cheerfully  and  with  bright 
hopes  for  the  future.  Notwithstanding  her 
large  family  and  the  cares  which  devolved 
upon  her,  she  found  time  to  teach  the  natives 
as  well  as  her  own  children. 

She  would  be  most  accurately  represented 
with  a  baby  on  her  lap,  pointing  out  the  letters 
to  a  Zulu  kneeling  beside  her,  or  explaining  to  a 
company  of  native  women  a  portion  of  the  Bible. 

Her  labors  were  not  in  vain.  A  number  of 
native  preachers,  two  of  whom  were  ordained, 
received  their  first  religious  impressions  from 
her  earnest  appeals.  Slie  died  in  New  York 
City,  November  22,  1877.  Mr.  Lindley  died  in 
Morristown,  N.  J,,  September  22,  1888,  at  the 
age  of  eighty. 

At  the  funeral  service  at  the  Fourth  Avenue 
Presbyterian  Church  in  New  York,  the  follow- 
ing remark  was  made :  "  The  world  stoops  to 
honor  the  memories  and  achievements  of  men 
who  have  won  great  successes  in  war,  politics, 
and  business  by  merely  selfish  methods  and  for 
selfish  objects.  Some  day  or  other  it  will  place, 
far  above  all  these  heroes  of  an  hour,  the  men 
who  have  emulated  the  spirit  and  equaled  the 
achievements  of  the  founders  of  the  Christian 
Church," 


''■^-^/'/^J^l^ 


A  Zulu  Kkaal. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

LIFE   IN   A    KRAAL. 

THE  place  for  building  selected,  and  the 
trees  cut  and  brought  oat  of  the  kloofs 
on  native  shoulders,  I  found  it  necessary  to 
use  the  wagon  in  hauling  the  timber,  so  my 
bedroom  and  parlor  had  to  be  given  up.  My 
wife  was  at  a  mission  station  twenty  miles 
away.  Where  should  I  lodge  ?  In  a  kraal 
surely,  if  I  could  obtain  permission  of  its 
owner. 

A  kraal  throughout  South  Africa  is  simply 
a  collection  of  huts  arranged  about  a  circular 
fence  of  thorns  which  encloses  the  cattle  fold. 
This  fence  is  eight  or  ten  feet  high,  with  a 
stronger  and  larger  one  outside  the  huts,  wall- 
ing in  the  whole.  The  number  of  huts  corre- 
sponds to  the  number  of  wives  belonging  to 
the  owner  or  headman.  There  are,  however, 
in  various  parts  of  South  Africa,  military 
kraals  with  two  hundred  huts  or  more,  in 
which  are  quartered  the  king's  soldiers,  young 
and  middle-aged  men,  ready  to  enter  the  field 
at  a  moment's  call.  The  huts  are  made  of 
long  wattles  or  poles,  the  ends  of  which  are 
fastened  in  the  ground,  the  tops  being  bent 
over  and  lashed  together  with  the  "  monkey 
rope,"  a  vine  well  suited  for  the  purpose.     A 

41 


42  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

strong  basket-like  roof  is  thus  constructed, 
which  is  suj)ported  by  horizontal  poles  resting 
on  two  or  more  upright  posts.  The  covering, 
of  long  grass,  is  kept  from  being  lilown  away 
by  small  rods  sharpened  at  each  end,  bent  bow- 
like, and  fastened  to  the  network  underneath. 
On  the  top  of  the  hut  skulls  and  horns  of 
oxen  are  frequently  placed,  probably  designed 
as  ornaments.  To  a  newcomer  approaching 
a  kraal,  the  huts  bear  a  striking  resemblance 
to  large  haycocks.  They  are  impervious  to 
rain,  and  are  made  so  strong  that  no  wild 
animal,  except  an  elephant,  has  been  known 
to  destroy  them.  Their  location  is  ordinarily 
on  a  hillside,  to  prevent  the  rain  from  settling 
near  them  or  entering  the  pits  in  the  cattle 
fold  in  Avhich  their  grain  is  kept.  Indian  corn, 
with  other  cereals,  and  beans  are  thus  stored 
away  from  the  weevils  and  white  ants.  These 
pits  are  about  six  feet  deep  and  as  large  as 
a  hogshead,  but  shaped  more  like  a  jar,  with 
a  covering  of  flat  stones  and  earth.  The  en- 
trance to  a  Zulu  hut  is  about  two  feet  high  in 
the  middle  and  three  feet  wide  at  the  base. 
The  inhabitants  go  in  and  out  on  their  hands 
and  knees.  The  door  is  of  pliant  sticks  woven 
together  and  made  to  correspond  in  size  to  the 
opening.  In  nnal  kraals  there  is  generally  one 
hut  surpassing  all  others  in  the  beauty  and  skill 
with  which  it  is  constructed.  The  principal 
pole  or  wattle  spanning  the  entire  arch  is  called 
'•'•intingo  jenkosikazi  (the  wattle  of  the  queen)." 
The  rainbow  has  the  same  designation. 


Life  in  a  Kraal.  43 

The  interior  of  a  well-kept  Zulu  habitation 
is  not  so  repulsive  as  one  might  suppose  wlio 
has  never  inspected  it.  First,  the  floor  pre- 
sents the  appearance  of  polished  ebony,  having 
been  made  of  a  glutinous  kind  of  earth  which 
has  passed  through  the  mouths  of  innumerable 
white  ants.  This  is  pounded  hard,  rubbed 
with  smooth  stones,  and  then  smeared  with 
fresh  cow  dung.  Some  Zulu  women  take  pride 
in  having  their  floors  shine  so  that  you  can 
almost  see  your  face  reflected  in  them  as  in  a 
mirror.  The  fireplace  is  a  saucer-like  excavation 
in  the  center  of  the  floor,  with  a  rim  around  it 
six  inches  high  to  keep  the  firebrands  and  ashes 
from  scattering.  Around  this  the  inhabitants 
sit  or  lounge,  chatting,  liinging,  scolding,  snuff- 
ing, smoking,  or  dozing.  At  night  grass  mats 
are  spread  over  the  floor,  on  which  they  sleep 
with  their  feet  towards  the  fire  in  cold  weather. 
Their  pillows  are  small  wooden  stools,  about 
five  inches  high,  on  which  they  rest  their  necks, 
not  their  heads.  To  foreigners  this  not  only 
appears  uncomfortable,  but  too  suggestive  of 
a  guillotine  to  be  agreeable  ;  but  the  Zulus  are 
too  proud  of  their  elaborate  headdress  to  bring 
it  into  contact  with  the  ground. 

Calabashes  for  sour  milk,  earthen  pots  (home- 
made) for  water  or  beer,  or  for  cooking  pur- 
poses, constitute  the  chief  utensils  of  a  Zulu 
pantry. 

The  natives  are  very  fond  of  meat  of  various 
kinds :  beef,  mutton,  venison.  Pork  is  also 
eaten;  and   lard  for   anointing   their  bodies  is 


44  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus, 

a  great  luxury.  They  dislike  eggs  aiul  have 
an  abhorrence  for  fish.  They  cultivate  Indian 
corn,  pumpkins,  amadnniln,  a  species  of  caladi- 
um,  the  root  of  which  is  eaten ;  and,  since 
introduced  by  the  whites,  beans  and  sweet 
potatoes  are  favorite  vegetables.  Indian  corn 
is  their  staple  breadstuff,  but  it  is  usually 
eaten  boiled  like  mush.  Stewed  pumpkin  is 
also  mixed  with  Indian  meal.  Thickened  sour 
milk  is  to  them  a  luxury.  Missionaries  and 
other  foreigners,  after  they  have  become  accus- 
tomed to  it,  also  greatly  like  it.  In  hot 
weather  it  is  the  nearest  ai)proach  to  ice  cream 
of  anything  obtainable  in  Africa.  New  milk 
is  turned  into  a  calabash  and  left  to  sour,  fresh 
milk  being  added  daily^  and  when  it  is  properly 
soured  a  plug  at  the  bottom  of  the  calabash  is 
removed,  the  Avhey  escapes,  and  the  milk  is 
poured  into  an  earthen  dish.  It  is  about  the 
consistency  of  "bonny-clabber."  Boiled  corn, 
ground  on  stones  and  mixed  with  sour  milk, 
is  food  of  which  the  Zulus  never  tire. 

Another  article  of  food,  or  drink  rather,  is 
beer  brewed  from  musty  Indian  corn.  Well- 
to-do  natives  make  this  in  large  <piantities, 
hence  it  is  not  unusual  to  see  in  a  hut  a  huge 
earthen  pot  that  will  hold  twenty  or  thirty 
gallons.  The  mill  for  grinding  corn  and  other 
articles  is  a  large  stone,  two  or  three  feet  in 
length,  in  which  an  indentation  has  been  made, 
together  with  a  small  one,  oval-shaped  and 
double  the  size  of  a  man's  fist.  The  material 
ground,   or   mashed,  falls   upon  a   small  grass 


3 
tS] 


Life  in  a  Kraal.  45 

mat  placed  by  the  side  of  the  stone.  Every 
hut  has  in  it  one  of  these  primitive  but  useful 
mills. 

At  night  other  occupants  than  human  beings 
find  lodging  in  a  Zulu  house.  These  are  goats 
and  calves,  tied  to  a  stake  in  a  small  enclosure 
fenced  off  for  their  accommodation,  besides, 
occasionally,  rats  and  cockroaches  too  numerous 
to  mention. 

In  one  of  these  huts  I  spent  the  first  six 
weeks  of  my  missionary  life.  The  kraal  num- 
bered six  dwellings,  and  the  owner,  for  a  rea- 
sonable compensation,  placed  the  best  one  at 
my  disposal.  A  screen  of  blankets  hid  me 
from  the  eyes  of  my  sable  companions  when 
the  time  came  for  retiring.  I  was  careful  to 
see  that  the  entrance  was  closed  at  night  to 
keep  out  all  members  of  the  serpent  family. 
Not  fancying  the  process  of  creeping  in  and 
out  on  all  fours  day  after  day,  I  requested  of 
the  proprietor  of  the  harem  the  privilege  of 
inserting  an  upright  door  of  civilized  construc- 
tion, telling  him  that  when  I  left  I  would 
leave  it  for  his  accommodation.  His  reply 
was,  "  My  fathers  went  in  on  their  hands  and 
knees,  and  I  shall  continue  to  do  so,  and,  more- 
over, while  you  are  among  the  Zulus  you  must 
do  as  the  Zulus  do." 

An  appeal  to  ancestral  custom  was  the  argu- 
ment the  natives  invariably  used  to  rebut  all 
reasons  why  they  should  abandon  their  absurd 
practices  as  well  as  their  superstitious  worship. 
Pointing  one  day  to  the  cattle  fold  in   which 


46  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

manure  lay  four  or  five  feet  deep,  and  also  a 
huge  pile  of  ashes  outside  the  kraal,  I  asked: 
"  Why  don't  you  use  these  valuable  ferti- 
lizers? "  The  only  answer  I  received  was  :  "  It 
is  not  our  custom."  ^ 

In  the  hut  the  smoke,  having  no  cliimney 
through  which  to  escape,  was  my  greatest 
annoyance.  At  the  end  of  six  weeks  I  did 
not  regret  exchanging  this  smoky  abode  for  a 
larger  one,  with  the  improvements  of  a  door 
and  window,  and  a  partition  dividing  the  bed- 
room from  the  sitting  room.  A  kitchen  was 
built  outside,  in  which  was  placed  an  Ameri- 
can stove.  Then  I  thought  it  time  to  send  for 
my  wife,  and  on  her  arrival  everything  assumed 
a  changed  appearance.  I  have  always  been 
glad  that  I  had  this  opportunity  of  living  for 
a  time  in  immediate  contact  with  the  natives. 
I  caught  their  intonations  and  mastered  the 
"  clicks "  of  the  language.  At  times  it  was 
difficult  to  repress  feelings  of  disgust  at  the 
sight  of  unblushing  impurity,  and  the  sound 
of  dancing,  yelling,  grumbling,  and  quarreling, 
but  a  voice  within  me  said :  "  The  incarnate 
and  spotless  Saviour  saw  what  was  far  more 
revolting  to  him  than  anything  I  behold ;  "  and 
1  found  the  ])eople  possessed  some  interesting 
traits  of  character  despite  their  environment. 
The  Zulus,  like  other  African  tribes,  are  nat- 
urally proud,  independent,  and  suspicious  of 
the  white  man's  curiosity ;  but  there  is  a  way 

'  I  afterwanl  ascertained  that  superstitious  fears  had  something 
to  do  with  this. 


Life  in  a  Kraal.  47 

to  unlock  the  door  of  their  hearts.  Occasion- 
ally creeping  into  one  of  their  huts,  and  watch- 
ing the  careworn  housewife  busy  at  her  daily 
tasks,  I  dropped  a  kind  word  which  generally 
met  with  a  smile  or  some  token  of  apprecia- 
tion. Nothing  pleased  the  parents  more  than 
my  attempts  to  amuse  the  children,  as  they 
rolled  about  on  the  floor,  innocent  of  clothing, 
their  eyes  sparkling  with  humor,  and  their  teeth 
shining  like  polished  ivory.  When  I  could 
assist  them  in  secular  matters  I  did  so.  By 
attending  to  their  bodily  wants  I  was  enabled 
to  reach  their  hearts.  I  had  daily  evidence  of 
the  wisdom  of  the  remark  of  St.  Francis 
Xavier :  "  The  smallest  acts  of  friendship,  an 
obliging  word  and  civil  look,  are  no  despicable 
part  of  the  missionary's  armor."  The  confi- 
dence of  the  people  was  won.  They  looked 
upon  me  as  their  friend,  although  they  were 
wedded  to  their  superstitions.  At  first  com- 
passion was  awakened  in  view  of  their  degra- 
dation, then  love,  and  a  longing  for  their  sal- 
vation. Love  begat  love.  When  Mrs.  Tyler 
became  acquainted  with  them  she  experienced 
the  same  emotions.  It  was  not  long  before 
the  natives  said,  "  See  how  she  loves  us !  " 


CHAPTER  V. 

HOUSE   BUILDING. 

THE  site  for  my  house  was  on  a  hill  com- 
maiuliiig  a  line  view  ol"  the  luouutains  in 
Zululancl  to  the  north,  an  immense  plateau  or 
table-land  to  the  west,  and  to  the  east  the 
Indian  Ocean,  visible  through  a  ravine,  the  bed 
of  the  Umhlali  River.  The  sceneiy  was  so 
varied  and  picturesque  we  never  tired  of  it. 
The  atmosphere  was  exceedingly  clear  and 
exhilarating.  Esidumbini  seemed  a  perfect 
sanitarium,  and  we  rejoiced  in  having  found  so 
healthy  and  beautiful  a  place  of  residence. 

But  as  to  the  building  of  a  house,  we  did  not 
fancy  living  longer  than  was  necessary  in  a  hut 
with  so  few  accommodations.  In  my  boyhood 
I  had  often  seen  house  builders  at  work,  but 
never  took  notes  with  a  view  to  doing  anything 
of  the  kind  in  after  life.  However,  I  knew 
enough  to  use  the  line,  lay  out  the  ground,  see 
that  holes  were  dug  at  proper  distances  for 
posts,  and  that  they  were  firmly  erected,  after 
their  lower  ends  were  charred  to  prevent  their 
being  eaten  immediately  by  white  ants,  and 
also  that  the  beams  were  pinned  to  the  posts; 
but  how  to  make  rafters  I  knew  not.  I  wrote 
my  dilemma  to  a  good  brother  missionary. 
Rev.  Aldin  Grout,  living  twenty-five  miles  dis- 

48 


House  Building.  49 

tant,  and  he  came  at  once  to  my  aid.  Reaching 
us  at  three  p.m.,  he  rested  a  while,  and  then 
went  out  to  inspect  my  operations.  I  can  still 
see  the  smile  on  his  countenance  as  he  beheld 
my  long  face  and  heard  me  dilate  on  my  trou- 
bles. Throwing  off  his  coat,  workman  fashion, 
he  began  to  show  me  in  a  thoroughly  practical 
manner  what  was  to  be  done.  Selecting  a  few 
poles  he  told  me  to  take  them  to  a  certain  spot, 
drive  down  a  peg,  arrange  a  couple  in  the  form 
of  a  triangle,  bore  the  holes,  pin  the  poles 
together,  and  saw  off  the  ends  properly,  mak- 
ing me  do  the  work  that  I  might  not  forget  in 
future.  In  less  than  two  hours  all  the  rafters 
were  put  together,  and  before  Mr.  Grout  left 
the  next  morning  a  good  part  of  the  roof  was 
up.  Easy  enough,  I  thought,  if  you  only  know 
how. 

Mr.  Grout  was  one  of  the  pioneer  mission- 
aries  who   sailed   from   Boston   in  1834.^     He 


'A  gentleman,  now  nearly  eighty  years  old,  who  waa  residing  in 
Cape  Town  at  the  time  the  six  pioneer  missionaries  of  the  Ameri- 
can Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  landed  there, 
thus  speaks  of  a  meeting  in  connection  with  the  Sabbath-school, 
held  in  the  Union  Chapel ;  — 

"  A  man  who  had  something  to  do  in  making  arrangements  for 
the  meeting  had  placed  on  tlie  communion  table  a  plate  of  biscuits 
and  a  decanter  of  wine.  One  of  the  missionaries,  being  called  on 
to  address  the  meeting,  gave  such  a  speech  that  he  astonished  us 
all.  He  began  by  expressing  his  amazement  at  finding  one  present 
■who  was  the  instigator  to  all  evil.  He  detailed  the  crimes  of  which 
men  are  guilty,  and  attributed  them  all  to  this  one  who  was  In  our 
midst.  Then  he  turned  upon  us  present  for  allowing  such  an  one 
to  enter  the  house  of  God,  that  no  one  had  raised  his  voice,  or  pre- 
vented his  entrance,  and  when  he  had  excited  us  to  the  utmost  by 
his  condemnation  of  this  miscreant,  he  pointed  to  the  wine." 

That  missionary  was  Rev.  Aldiu  Grout,  now  living  in  Springfield, 
Mass.,  at  the  advanced  age  of  nearly  ninet3'. 

Soon  after  the  above  incident,  Mr.  Grout,  with  some  clergymen 


50  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

landed  in  Natal  early  in  1835,  with  Dr.  Adams 
and  Rev.  George  Champion.  Hopefully  and 
zealously  Mr.  Grout  began  missionary  work  in 
Zululand,  then  under  Dingaan,  a  cruel  despot. 
Tlie  difficulties  under  which  he  labored  and 
the  perils  by  which  he  was  surrounded  were 
sufficient  to  intimidate  tlie  most  courageous. 

He  attempted  to  teach  Dingaan  to  read. 
The  proud  king  said  to  Mr.  Grout,  "  Why 
have  you  come  to  me  ?  " 

"  To  teach  and  preach  the  gospel  to  you," 
Mr.  Grout  replied. 

Said  his  sable  majesty,  "Do  you  then  pre- 
sume to  think  that  you  can  teach  me  anything 
that  I  do  not  already  know  ?  " 

It  was  explained  to  him  that  he  must  first 
learn  the  letters  of  the  alphabet. 

"  Can  I  now  learn  to  read  ?  "  he  inquired. 

Mr.  Grout  told  him  that  he  would  come 
again  on  the  morrow  and  give  him  a  lesson. 

"  But  can  so  great  a  thing  be  put  off  till 
to-morrow?  Let  me  have  them  all  now," 
responded  the  chief. 

Mr.  Grout  then  printed  the  whole  twenty- 
four  letters,  and  began,  as  he  said,  "  to  educate 
a  king  in  a  day." 

Soon,  on  repeating  the  letters  he  had  learned, 

in  Cape  Towu,  was  invited  to  ilinc  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Dr.  Philip, 
superintendent  of  the  London  Missionary  Society  in  South  Africa, 
and  tlie  good  doctor,  seeing  the  missionary's  eyes  directed  to  the 
decanter  of  wine  in  its  usual  place  on  the  table,  called  his  servant 
to  remove  It,  and  that  was  the  last  time  it  was  placed  on  that  table. 
It  re(|uired  some  degree  of  moral  courage  in  those  days  to  set  one's 
"face  like  a  Hint"  against  the  drinking  usages  of  society,  and  I 
love  to  recall  what  the  missionary,  then  a  youug  man,  so  heroically 
did. 


House  Building.  61 

the  king  was  at  a  loss,  and  said,  "  I  have 
forgotten  that  one." 

"  Well,  it  is  D." 

Soon  the  king  had  forgotten  another,  and 
another,  and  became  confused  and  forgot  all. 
In  his  vexation  he  threw  down  the  paper,  say- 
ing, "  There,  I  told  you  I  could  not  learn.  No, 
I  do  not  want  you  ;  you  may  go  home." 

On  another  occasion,  while  Mr.  Grout  was 
showing  Dingaan  his  medicines,  a  small  pair 
of  tweezers  was  observed,  and  the  king  asked, 
"  What  is.  that  for  ?  "  Mr.  Grout  replied,  "To 
extract  splinters  or  small  ticks  from  the  bod}'," 
The  response  came,  "  I  will  take  that  for  my 
own  use."  Soon  after  he  appropriated  a  bottle 
of  smelling  salts,  and  Mr.  Grout  began  to 
think  that  he  had  better  keep  his  things  out  of 
sight  if  he  wished  to  preserve  them. 

Asking  one  day  for  medicine,  as  he  had  a 
severe  cold  on  his  chest,  a  mustard  poultice 
was  recommended.  The  king  had  it  applied 
first  to  one  of  his  people  that  he  might  watch 
its  effects  before  he  tried  it  himself. 

Mr.  Grout's  love  for  the  Zulu  Mission  was 
tested  in  the  early  days  of  its  history.  On 
account  of  war  between  the  Zulus  and  Dutch 
farmers  and  the  discouraging  prospects,  the 
American  Board  recalled  Mr.  Grout  and  his 
colaborers,  Lindley  and  Adams;  but  before 
the  summons  from  Boston  reached  them,  the 
darkest  days  had  passed.  They  could  not 
brook  the  idea  of  retreating  from  tlie  field! 
Their  hearts  were  buoyed  up  with  a  faith  kin- 


52  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

dred  to  that  which  inspired  the  "  apostle  to  the 
Karens,"  eighteen  years  previously,  who,  when 
asked,  "  What  prospect  of  ultimate  success  is 
there?"  replied,  "As  much  as  that  there  is  an 
almighty  and  faithful  God." 

Dr.  Adams  said,  "  I  will  support  myself  by 
my  profession."  Mr.  Lindley,  no  less  coura- 
geous, observed,  "  And  I  will  obtain  a  living  by 
teaching  the  children  of  the  Dutch  Boers." 
Mr.  Grout  declared  that  he  would  "go  home 
and  plead  for  the  continuance  of  the  mission." 
To  quote  his  own  words :  "  With  hearts  well- 
nigh  broken,  myself  and  wife  took  passage,  and 
in  1844  were  safely  landed  in  Cape  Town. 
For  nearly  ten  years  we  had  been  in  search  of 
a  place  where  we  could  stop  long  enough  to 
preach  the  gospel  and  witness  its  fruits,  and 
now,  without  any  intimation  that  we  had  done 
any  material  good,  we  were  called  away.  We 
had  hardly  landed  in  Cape  Town  before  friends 
began  to  inquire,  '  Why  have  you  left  your 
work?  You  must  go  back.  If  funds  are  all 
you  want,  they  shall  be  forthcoming.' " 

Sir  Peregrine  Maitland,  then  governor  at  the 
Cape,  gave  Mr.  Grout  an  appointment  as  gov- 
ernment missionary,  saying,  "  It  is  a  pity  men 
should  leave  a  place  and  people  just  as  they 
have  learned  enough  of  the  language  to  enable 
them  to  be  useful,"  and  adding,  "  I  think  more 
of  missionaries  than  of  soldiers  to  keep  savages 
quiet." 

A  purse  of  X170  was  contributed  by  the 
good   people    of    Cape    Town    for   immediate 


House  Building.  53 

necessities,  and  in  June,  1844,  Mr.  Grout 
returned  to  Natal. 

He  was  remarkably  adapted  to  mission  work 
in  South  Africa,  and  his  efforts  were  attended 
with  success,  though  he  labored  more  than  ten 
years  before  seeing  his  first  convert.  Failing- 
health  rendered  it  necessary  that  he  should 
come  to  America  to  spend  the  evening  of  his 
days,  but  he  has  often  regretted  that  he  did 
not  conclude  to  remain  in  Africa  and  die 
among  his  own  people.  When  he  left  this 
country  in  1834  he  was  accused  by  some  of 
"going  on  a  wild-goose  chase  ; "  but  he  used  to 
say,  "  I  have  caught  my  goose." 

His  first  wife  died  in  the  early  history  of  the 
mission,  leaving  one  daughter,  Mrs.  Ireland, 
now  in  the  Natal  field.  With  his  second  wife 
he  has  lately  celebrated  his  golden  wedding. 
May  his  last  days  be  radiant  with  the  divine 
presence ! 

I  must  say  that  my  new  house,  when  com- 
pleted and  occupied,  seemed  to  me  like  a 
palace.  The  months  flew  by  rapidly  and  pleas- 
antly, each  finding  us  better  able  to  communi- 
cate with  the  people.  We  had  Indian  corn, 
amadumbi,  and  occasionally  meat  brought  to  us 
for  sale  by  the  natives.  Fowls  we  could  obtain 
cheaply,  and  in  abundance.  With  my  rifle  I 
frequently  shot  antelopes  that  were  quietly 
feeding  near  by. 

One  privation,  keenly  felt  during  the  first 
few  years,  was  the  absence  of  news,  except  at 
long  intervals.    The  nearest  post  office  was  fifty 


54  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

miles  distant,  and,  native  young  men  being 
needed  for  work  of  various  kinds,  weeks  some- 
times passed  before  we  could  send  one  for  our 
letters.  Natal  could  not  then  boast  of  a  news- 
paper. Tidings  reached  us  one  day  that  filled 
our  hearts  with  joy.  An  American  vessel  had 
arrived,  bringing  not  only  a  mail  from  home, 
but  other  things  "  too  numerous  to  mention," 
as  our  Durban  agent  wrote.  Immediately  were 
dispatched  two  able-bodied  Zulus,  with  the 
promise  that  if  they  would  return  before  bed- 
time the  following  Saturday  (it  was  then 
Wednesday)  each  would  receive  a  shilling 
extra.  They  took  two  large  bags,  each  holding 
as  much  as  a  flour  barrel,  in  which  to  bring  the 
newly-arrived  articles.  Saturday  night  came  ; 
it  was  dark  and  rainy,  and  the  prospect  of  see- 
ing our  carriers  grew  fainter  and  fainter.  Ten 
o'clock  came,  and  just  as  we  concluded  to 
retire  a  rap  was  heard  on  our  door.  There 
were  the  two  Zulu  men  with  immense  burdens 
on  their  heads,  their  bodies  covered  with  per- 
spiration. To  terrify  wild  animals  and  ward 
off  witches,  they  said  they  had  sung  and 
shouted  all  the  way  after  sundown.  The  huge 
bags  were  placed  on  the  dining  room  floor ; 
something  tempting  to  the  appetites  of  the 
messengers  given  them,  and  we  began  to 
inspect  this  first  arrival  of  things  from  the 
dear  ones  at  home. 

Opening  the  bags  I  poured  out  their  contents. 
The  Eclectic,  Harper's  Monthly,  The  Mission- 
ary Herald,  and  other  publications  were  laid  one 


ffouse  Building.  55 

side ;  boxes  of  maple  sugar,  little  bags  of  wal- 
nuts and  butternuts,  parcels  of  clothing,  an 
album,  bedquilt,  daguerreotypes,  etc.,  gladdened 
our  eyes  and  hearts.  Then  we  sat  down  to 
read  some  of  the  welcome  letters  out  of  a  big 
bundle  before  us.  When  twelve  o'clock  came 
we  laid  all  aside  to  be  reinspected  on  Monday 
morning. 

Mrs.  Tyler,  writing  about  that  time  to  a 
friend  in  this  country,  observed,  "  You  ask  if 
we  never  '  cast  one  longing,  lingering  look 
behind,'  and  if  it  does  not  make  us  sad  to  think 
of  you  all.  Perhaps  you  will  hardly  think  me 
sincere  if  I  tell  you  '  No.'  I  don't  know  that 
I  have  ever  felt,  since  the  time  I  stepped  from 
the  plank  which  connected  our  ship  with  land, 
that  I  have  had  a  desire  to  live  in  America.  I 
do  not  mean  that  I  love  my  native  land  any 
the  less,  or  that  I  should  not  love  to  visit  it 
again  ;  but  I  would  rather  live  at  Esidumbini 
and  labor  for  the  good  of  the  many  souls  that 
are  famishing  for  the  lack  of  knowledge,  and 
here  too  would  I  die.  I  feel  that  it  is  my  home 
and  I  love  it.  I  love  my  friends  so  dearly  that 
it  seems  unnatural  not  to  see  them  occasionally ; 
but  I  knew  it  would  be  hard  before  I  came 
here,  and  tried  to  make  up  my  mind  to  leave 
them  all  at  home  and  be  content  to  write  to 
them,  and  hope  to  receive  many  letters  from 
them.  The  more  I  become  acquainted  and 
interested  in  our  people,  the  more  I  shall  learn 
to  give  up  all  other  objects  of  thought  which 
would  tend  to  make  me  unhappy." 


56  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

Then  referring  to  her  husband,  she  said : 
"  We  try  to  help  each  other  in  all  sorts  of 
ways.  When  Mr.  Tyler  is  putting  on  a  door- 
latch,  and  turns  it  upside  down  and  wonders 
why  it  does  not  work,  I  run  and  help  him  ;  and 
when  I  make  similar  mistakes,  or  need  a  little 
bookshelf  or  something  of  that  sort,  he  is 
always  ready  to  help  me.  So  we  conclude,  like 
other  young  married  people,  that  we  were  made 
for  each  other." 


A  HEATHEN  Zui-u  Young  Man. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ZULU   DRESS. 

THE  clothing  of  the  Zulus  in  their  normal 
state  is  too  scanty  to  require  much  de- 
scription. Mark  Twain's  observation  in  regard 
to  the  Sandwich  Islanders  is  not  inapplicable  to 
this  people  :  "  They  wear  —  they  wear  —  they 
wear  a  smile,  and.  some  of  them  a  hat  and  a 
pair  of  spectacles."  The  dress  worn  by  the 
men  consists  of  a  girdle  of  ox  hide  from  which 
is  suspended  in  front  a  bunch  of  the  tails  of 
monkeys,  wild  cats,  or  other  animals,  and  at 
the  back  a  small  apron  of  ox  hide  or  the  skin 
of  some  wild  beast. 

The  garment  of  a  woman  is  a  skirt  of  pliable 
tanned  leather,  lubricated  with  fat.  The  bridal 
skirt  is  trimmed  with  beads  of  divers  colors 
and  a  rich  profusion  of  brass  buttons.  This  is 
a  present  from  the  bridegroom,  with  which  the 
young  damsel  is  as  much  pleased  as  are  her 
civilized  sisters  in  other  lands  with  their  jewels, 
laces,  and  orange  blossoms.  Belts  and  semi- 
belts  are  worn  by  young  men  and  women,  the 
more  beads  ornamenting  them  the  better, 

Zulu  men  are  dressmakers  as  well  as  tailors, 
making  all  the  garments  of  the  women  as  well 
as  their  own. 

Washing  day  is  not  one  to  be  dreaded  among 

57 


58  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

this  people.  Should  a  garment  require  cleans- 
ing, it  is  taken  to  the  river  and  rubbed  with 
the  fibrous  root  of  an  alkaline  plant  which 
takes  the  place  of  soaj). 

The  native  headdress  occupies  considerable 
attention.  Married  men  shave  all  the  upper 
part  of  the  head  except  the  crown,  on  which 
they  leave  a  little  wool  in  a  circular  shape 
about  four  inches  in  diameter.  To  this  is  sewn 
a  gutta-percha-like  ring,  made  of  gum  and  char- 
coal. With  the  growth  of  the  wool  the  ring 
rises  sometimes  to  the  height  of  six  inches. 
Into  this  ring  they  thrust  long  snuff  spoons, 
porcupine  quills,  needles,  and  other  articles  of 
utility.  This  ring  is  a  badge  of  manhood  and 
rcspectal)ility.  Violence  done  to  it  is  quickly 
and  bitterly  resented.  Men  have  chosen  to 
die  ratlier  than  be  deprived  of  it.  Under  the 
old  Zulu  kings  no  man  was  allowed  to  wear 
the  ring  till  he  had  distinguished  himself  in 
battle. 

While  Rev.  Robert  Moffat  was  on  a  visit  to 
Mosilekatzi,  king  of  the  Matabele  Zulus,  a  man 
was  brought  before  the  chief  to  receive  his 
sentence  for  a  crime,  the  penalty  of  which  was 
death.  Mr.  Moffat  earnestly  interceded  for  his 
life.  The  story  from  the  missionary's  own  pen 
is  too  interesting  to  be  omitted :  — 

"  The  prisoner,  though  on  his  knees,  had 
something  dignified  in  his  mien.  Not  a  muscle 
of  his  countenance  moved,  but  a  bright  black 
eye  indicated  a  feeling  of  intense  interest, 
which  the  swerving]:  balance  between  life  and 


Zulu  Dress.  59 


death  only  could  produce.  The  case  required 
little  investigation ;  the  charges  were  clearly 
substantiated,  and  the  culprit  pleaded  guilty. 
But,  alas !  he  knew  that  it  was  at  a  bar  where 
none  ever  heard  the  heart-reviving  sound  of 
pardon,  even  for  offenses  small  compared  with 
his ! 

"A  pause  ensued,  during  which  the  silence 
of  death  pervaded  the  assembly.  At  length  the 
monarch  spoke,  and,  addressing  the  prisoner, 
said :  '  You  are  a  dead  man ;  but  I  shall  do 
to-day  what  I  never  did  before.  I  spare  your 
life  for  the  sake  of  my  friend  and  father.  I  know 
that  his  heart  weeps  at  the  shedding  of  blood ; 
for  his  sake  I  spare  your  life  ,•  but  you  must 
be  degraded  for  life ;  you  must  no  more  asso- 
ciate with  the  nobles  of  the  land,  nor  enter  the 
towns  of  the  princes  of  the  people,  nor  even 
again  mingle  in  the  dance  of  the  mighty.  Go 
to  the  poor  of  the  field  and  let  your  compan- 
ions be  the  inhabitants  of  the  desert.' 

"The  sentence  passed,  the  hardened  man 
was  expected  to  bow  in  grateful  admiration. 
But,  no !  Holding  his  hand  clasped  on  his 
bosom,  he  replied :  '  O  king,  afflict  not  my 
heart!  I  have  incited  thy  displeasure.  Let  me 
be  slain  like  the  warrior.  I  cannot  live  with 
the  poor.'  Raising  his  hand  to  the  ring  lie 
wore  on  his  head,  he  continued :  '  How  can  I 
live  among  the  dogs  of  the  king,  and  disgrace 
this  badge  of  honor  which  I  have  won  among 
the  spears  and  shields  of  the  mighty?  Let  me 
die,  O  Pe  Zulu!' 


60  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

"His  request  was  granted,  and  his  hands 
were  tied  erect  over  his  head.  Now  my  exer- 
tions to  save  his  life  were  vain.  lie  disdained 
the  boon  on  the  conditions  offered,  preferring 
to  die  with  the  honors  lie  had  won  at  the  point 
of  the  spear.  He  was  led  forth,  a  man  walk- 
ing on  each  side.  My  eyes  followed  him  until 
he  reached  the  top  of  a  high  precipice,  over 
which  he  was  precipitated  into  the  deep  part  of 
the  river  beneath,  where  the  crocodiles,  accus- 
tomed to  such  meals,  were  yawning  to  devour 
him  ere  he  could  reach  the  bottom." 

Shaving  the  head  is  not  confined  to  Zulu 
men.  Married  women  do  the  same,  leaving, 
however,  a  topknot  for  which  they  have  a 
great  regard.  A  mixture  of  red  ochre  and 
grease  makes  this  topknot  an  agreeable  orna- 
ment in  their  estimation.  A  few  of  them, 
however,  do  not  shave  at  all,  but  rub  their 
wool  with  red  pigment,  making  it  look  more 
like  a  mop  than  anything  else.  Witch  doc- 
tresses  fasten  to  such  a  headdress  the  bladders 
of  birds  or  of  wildcats,  blown  out,  and  thus 
appear  hideous  in  the  extreme. 

Young  men  not  married  allow  their  hair  to 
grow,  dressing  it  in  a  variety  of  fantastic 
shapes.  Now  it  looks  like  a  sugar  loaf,  now 
like  two  little  hills  with  valleys  between.  The 
more  rancid  butter,  or  mutton  tallow,  or  cocoa- 
nut  oil  they  can  get  to  rub  on  their  heads  the 
better.  Odoriferous  substances  are  freely  used, 
especially  before  going  into  company,  and  pei- 
fumes  are   now  bought   largely  from    English 


Z^du  Dress.  61 


merchants.  Places  of  worship  need  ample 
ventilation,  particularly  when  filled  with  Zulus 
freshly  lubricated.  Missionaries  not  only  re- 
quire grace,  but  strong  olfactory  nerves,  and 
they  often  sigh  for  a  different  kind  of  anointing. 
Zulus  of  both  sexes  and  of  all  ages  are 
exceedingly  fond  of  ornaments.  Necklaces, 
made  of  beads  of  various  colors,  are  common. 
Brass  rings,  some  of  them  we  should  think 
too  cumbersome  to  be  agreeable,  are  worn  on 
the  arms  and  legs.  The  head  is  decked  with 
feathers,  from  those  of  the  common  fowl  to 
the  ostrich  and  the  most  beautiful  birds  of 
the  forest.  A  young  man  is  sometimes  seen 
with  a  pair  of  deer's  horns  attached  to  his 
forehead,  while  about  his  neck  are  strung 
leopard's  teeth,  pieces  of  crocodile  skin,  bits 
of  wood,  claws  of  birds,  and  small  bags  of 
medicine.  "Spirit"  or  "witch"  doctors  com- 
monly wear  long  leopard  skins  dangling  about 
their  feet.  Infants  have  holes  bored  in  their 
ears  which  are  enlarged  as  they  grow  older, 
and  made  the  receptacle  for  ivory  knobs  or 
reed  snuffboxes.  Flowers  are  often  seen  on 
the  head,  one  of  which,  the  "love-making 
posy,"  is  said  to  foster  the  tender  passion. 
Young  men  generally  wear  this  when  paying 
attention  to  the  ladies.  On  the  arms  and 
bosoms  of  women  raised  scars  are  often 
noticeable.  These  were  made  in  infancy,  and 
in  the  gashes  cut  in  the  skin  were  inserted 
charcoal  and  ashes  from  the  bones  of  serpents. 
The  operation  must  be  painful,  but  when  orna- 


62  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

mentation  is  considered,  bodily  suffering  is 
not  regarded.  An  ornament  of  which  young 
wives  are  very  fond  is  a  piece  of  buck's  skin 
tied  across  the  chest  and  falling  down  to  the 
knees ;  the  more  brass  buttons  sewed  to  it  the 
better.  On  marriage  or  other  hilarious  occa- 
sions, both  sexes  deck  themselves  with  all  the 
finery  obtainable. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

DIFFICULTIES    ENCOUNTERED. 

'TXT'HEN  we  began  our  work  at  Esidumbini, 
VV  no  sign  of  civilization  was  visible. 
Profound  ignorance  prevailed  in  regard  to 
religious  truth.  I  asked  a  young  man,  "  Who 
made  you?"  His  reply  was,  '•'' Unhulunkulu 
(Great-Great)."  "Where  did  Unkulunkulu 
come  from?"  "  He  sprang  from  a  reed  on  the 
river's  brink."  "  Where  was  that  river  ?  "  "I 
cannot  tell.  Some  believe  it  is  in  Natal,  others 
in  Zululand."  "  Who  made  the  reed  from  which 
Unkulunkulu  sprang  ? "  "I  do  not  know. 
Our  fathers  did  not  inform  us."  This  was  the 
extent  of  their  theological  knowledge.  A 
pamphlet  has  lately  been  published  in  Natal 
by  Dean  Green,  of  the  English  Church,  on  the 
proper  name  for  God  in  the  Zulu  language. 
The  conclusion  to  which  he  arrives,  after  a 
most  rigid  examination,  is  that  Unkulunkulu, 
literally  "Great-Great,"  is  the  best  word  for 
God.  A  large  majority  of  missionaries,  both 
in  Natal  and  Zululand,  coincide  with  his  views, 
and  doubtless  that  will  soon  come  into  common 
use.  Uixo,  a  word  of  Hottentot  origin,  has 
been  used  quite  extensively  for  many  years 
past.     There  are  Zulus  in  Natal  who  believe  in 

63 


64  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

an  '■'■  Itongo,^'  a  great  Spirit  from  whom  all 
tilings  proceeded. 

Great  simplicity  was  required  in  our  teach- 
ing. The  theme  that  invariably  excited  in- 
terest was  the  love  of  Jesus  and  his  agony  on 
the  cross.  None  other  awakened  an  equal 
amount  of  thought  and  feeling.  Had  we  used 
denunciatory  language,  or  tried  to  drive  them 
to  a  reception  of  Christianity,  we  should  have 
defeated  our  object.  Kind,  gentle,  unwearied 
persuasion  and  a  firm  reliance  on  divine  heliJ 
are  the  true  weapons  of  a  missionary's  warfare. 

There  were  occasional  gleams  of  native 
shrewdness.  A  lad  of  seventeen  years,  look- 
ing at  me  one  Sabbath  day  with  twinkling  eyes 
and  a  countenance  full  of  animation,  put  the 
following  question  :  "  Do  you  say,  teacher,  that 
the  great  King  has  all  power  in  heaven  and  on 
earth?"  "  Yes,"  1  replied.  "Well  then,  why 
did  n't  he  take  a  knob-kerrie  and,  as  the  ser- 
pent was  creeping  into  the  garden,  give  him  a 
rap  on  the  head  and  thus  save  the  human 
family  from  all  its  woe  ?  " 

For  a  long  time  it  was  impossible  to  persuade 
the  fathers  at  Esidumbiid  to  allow  their 
daughters  to  reside  in  our  family,  although  we 
offered  good  compensation.  They  said,  "  You 
will  spoil  our  girls.  If  taught  your  notions 
and  customs  they  will  make  us  trouble  and 
refuse  to  marry  old  men  who  may  have  eight 
or  ten  wives." 

They  reasoned  correctly,  for  our  teacliing 
did  have  that  effect.     The  young  men  in  our 


Difficulties  Encountered.  65 

service  could  not  be  induced  to  put  on  clothing 
of  European  make,  not  even  a  shirt,  though  it 
might  be  given  to  them,  lest  they  should  en- 
counter ridicule  and  be  accused  of  adopting 
the  "  new  religion."  This  led  one  of  our 
missionary  brethren  to  make  the  quaint  but 
truthful  remark :  "  A  shirt  is  the  anxious  seat 
among  the  Zulus ;"  for  as  soon  as  a  young  man 
was  seen  putting  on  this  first  article  of  civili- 
zation and  Christianity,  he  was  known  to  be 
anxious  about  his  spiritual  interests. 

Worldly  considerations  alone  brought  the 
natives  to  our  Sabbath  services.  If  a  man 
wished  to  make  a  good  bargain  with  us  on 
Monday,  he  was  sure  to  be  at  church  on 
Sunday. 

When  a  father  was  asked  to  send  his  boys 
to  the  station  to  be  taught,  the  reply  was, 
"  What  will  you  pay  me  ?  "  One  who  had  been 
quite  a  regular  attendant  on  the  sanctuary  for 
three  years  came  to  me  one  day,  and  said,  "  I 
am  coming  to  meeting  no  longer ;  I  get  nothing 
for  it." 

I  thought,  one  Sabbath  morning,  after  preach- 
ing five  years  and  witnessing  no  conversions, 
that  my  words  had  at  last  sunk  into  the  heart 
of  one  man.  His  countenance  was  full  of  life, 
and  his  eyes  were  not  taken  from  me  during  the 
sermon.  I  had  been  preaching  on  the  storm  of 
divine  displeasure  that  will  overtake  all  unbe- 
lievers. He  came  to  me  at  the  close  of  the 
service,  and  said :  "  Teacher,  I  thank  you  for 
your  discourse  to-day.     I  am  so  glad  a  storm  is 


66  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

coming,  for  my  garden  is  all  parched  up  with 
drought." 

The  prophet  Ezekiel  (33 :  31)  describes  accu- 
rately my  congregation  at  that  time :  "■  And 
they  come  unto  thee  as  the  people  cometh,  and 
tliey  sit  before  thee  as  my  people,  and  they 
hear  thy  words,  but  do  them  not:  for  with 
their  mouth  they  show  much  love,  but  their 
heart  goeth  after  their  gain." 

Dark  indeed  were  the  prospects ;  but  Mrs. 
Tyler,  whom  no  obstacles  could  dishearten, 
comforted  me  with  the  words :  "  The  darkest 
hour  is  just  before  dawn."  She  used  to  remind 
me  of  a  passage  in  Hebrews,  which  my  good 
father  desired  I  should  never  forget :  "  For  ye 
have  need  of  patience,  that,  having  done  the 
will  of  God,  ye  may  receive  the  promise." 

I  shall  speak  without  reserve  of  my  wife, 
now  in  the  "better  land,"  for  if  I  have  been 
useful  in  any  degree  in  the  mission  field,  I 
attribute  it  largely  to  her  unwearied  help  and 
wise  counsels.  Though  of  a  delicate  organiza- 
tion, she  was  to  me  at  all  times  a  tower  of 
strength,  inspiring  me  with  hope  in  the  darkest 
hours,  uncomplaining  in  time  of  trial,  willing 
to  wear  herself  out  that  others  might  be  bene- 
fited. Not  only  was  she  necessary  to  the  hap- 
piness of  her  husband,  but  to  the  elevation  of 
the  Zulus  as  well.  She  preached  a  part  of  the 
gospel  I  could  not  preach,  reaching  the  hearts 
of  poor  Zulu  women  as  no  man  could  have 
done. 

The  joys  vouchsafed  to  missionaries  more 
than  counterbalance  their  sorrows.     I  am  sure 


Difficulties  Encountered.  67 

that  we  were  never  happier  in  our  lives.  At 
all  times  the  bow  of  God's  promise  overarched 
us,  and  our  hearts  were  buoyed  up  by  the 
assurance  that  we  were  remembered  in  the 
prayers  of  dear  relatives  and  friends  in  our 
native  land.  The  promise :  "  Lo,  I  am  with 
you,"  was  verified  to  us,  and  as  we  could  say, 
"  Lo,  we  have  left  all,  and  have  followed  thee," 
those  words,  "  Manifold  more  in  this  present 
time,  and  in  the  world  to  come  life  ever- 
lasting," came  to  us  in  all  their  sweetness. 

One  thing  I  could  not  fail  to  perceive  in  the 
early  days  of  our  missionary  life  was  that  the 
consciences  of  the  people  were  on  our  side. 
However  absorbed  in  their  worldly  schemes, 
however  corrupt  their  inclinations,  however 
closely  wedded  to  their  debasing  customs,  their 
consciences  were  responsive  to  our  teaching 
and  testified  that  the  Word  we  preached  was 
truth.  We  had  abundant  evidence  that  con- 
science among  a  heathen  people  is  a  great  aux- 
iliary to  the  missionary.  I  once  asked  several 
old  men  how  they  felt  before  the  arrival  of 
white  men  in  Zululand,  when  doing  right  or 
wrong.  Their  reply  was,  "  Something  within  us 
approved  wlien  we  did  the  former,  and  con- 
demned when  we  did  the  latter."  A  good 
commentary  this,  I  thought,  on  the  words  of 
the  apostle  Paul :  "  These,  having  no  law,  are 
a  law  unto  themselves ;  in  that  they  show  the 
work  of  the  law  written  in  their  hearts,  their 
conscience  bearing  witness  therewith,  and  their 
thoughts  one  with  another  accusing  or  else 
excusing  "  (R.  V.). 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

TOILING   AND   WAITING. 

OUR  chapel,  liolding  about  a  hundred,  was 
filled  every  pleasant  Sabbath.  There  was 
no  direct  opposition  except  from  a  cunning 
"spirit  doctor,"  who,  fearing  his  craft  was  in 
danger,  warned  the  people  against  having  any- 
thing to  do  with  us  lest  the  spirits  should  be- 
come angry. 

A  change  was  going  on  silent  but  sure.  The 
hearts  of  the  natives  were  being  unlocked  by 
sympathy  and  love.  Our  arguments  against 
their  evil  ways  were  met  with  a  manliness  that 
commanded  respect.  Though  baiUed  in  dis- 
putation, they  retired  from  the  field  with  great 
politeness  and  grace.  We  did  not  see  it  at  the 
time,  but  the  divine  Spirit  was  working  by  our 
side.  "  Esidumbini  for  Christ  "  was  our  motto, 
and  the  Master  approved  it.  He  was  fertilizing 
what  had  been  sown  in  tears. 

We  used  to  think  at  times  that  friends  at 
home  might  doubt  the  expediency  of  supporting 
missionaries,  year  after  year,  in  such  an  un- 
promising field. 

Mrs.  Tyler,  in  reviewing  those  early  days, 
once  wrote  in  regard  to  them  :  — 

"I  remember  the  despair  which  crept  over 
me   when    I    made   my   first   entrance    into   a 

68 


Toiling  and  Waiting.  69 

heathen  kraal.  Everything  was  so  dark  and 
repulsive,  it  did  not  seem  possible  that  the 
pure,  genial  light  of  the  gospel  could  find  a 
place  there.  But  it  would  not  do  to  give  way 
to  doubt  or  despair  with  the  divine  promises  in 
our  hands.  We  gathered  courage  from  the 
bright  faces  and  pleasant  smiles  with  which 
all  greeted  us  as  their  first  white  visitors.  To 
the  extent  of  our  ability  we  answered  their 
questions  and  interested  ourselves  in  their 
children,  showing  them  that  we  were  their 
true  friends. 

"  But  when  we  tried  to  explain  why  we  had 
left  our  native  land  and  come  to  live  with 
them  as  messengers  of  Jesus  Christ,  silence 
was  the  result.  Such  was  the  beginning.  But 
when  we  secured  some  of  the  children  to  work 
for  us,  though  they  knew  nothing  of  our  inten- 
tions we  spent  much  time  in  teaching  them  to 
repeat  passages  of  Scripture,  hoping  that  these 
would  remain  in  their  hearts,  even  if  they  went 
back  to  their  kraals,  and  that  the  Holy  Spii'it 
would  make  use  of  this  instrumentality  for 
their  conversion.  As  soon,  however,  as  some 
of  the  parents  found  that  their  children  were 
becoming  interested  in  learning  they  hastened 
to  remove  them.  This  was  the  disheartening 
part  of  our  first  work,  and  little  understood  by 
expectant  Christians  and  churches." 

Subsequently  some  of  the  fathers,  polygam- 
ists,  convinced  that  the  religion  we  taught  was 
true,  remarked  to  me,  as  did  an  old  Brahman  to 
Dr.   Henry  M.  Scudder,  missionary  in   India, 


70  Forty  Tears  Among  the  Zulus. 

and  in  almost  the  identical  words :  "  It  is  only 
a  question  of  time,  sir.  Let  us  alone.  Our 
children  arc  yours ;  they  will  certainly  become 
Christians." 

At  last  our  hopes  were  raised  by  one  of  the 
young  men  in  our  employ,  Dambusa  by  name. 
He  came  to  me,  saying,  "  I  believe  in  Christ 
and  wish  to  serve  him."  He  had  an  amiable 
disposition  and  was  attached  to  us,  but  was 
easily  influenced  and  soon  found  there  was 
much  to  contend  against.  Unfortunately  he 
was  engaged  to  a  girl  who  had  no  sympathy 
with  him  in  his  desire  to  embrace  Christianity. 
To  make  things  harder  the  parents  of  both 
were  determined  to  keep  their  children  in  hea- 
thenism. A  house  which  Dambusa  began  to 
build  on  the  station  was  torn  to  pieces  by 
indignant  relatives.  They  swore  by  the  spirits 
of  the  Zulu  kings  that  none  of  their  number 
should  abandon  the  worship  of  their  forefath- 
ers. The  time  for  the  marriage  came,  the  cat- 
tle had  been  paid  for,  beer  brewed,  new  songs 
for  the  dance  learned,  and  Dambusa,  almost 
persuaded,  with  a  sad  countenance  bade  us 
good-by  and  joined  his  heathen  friends ;  but 
the  "incorruptible  seed  "  had  been  sown  in  his 
heart.     We  shall  have  more  to  say  of  him. 

Our  heathen  congregations  were  quite  or- 
derly. Only  once  was  there  an  attempt  at 
disturbance.  A  young  man  who  had,  perhaps, 
imbibed  too  freely  of  native  beer  decided  one 
Sabbath  morning  to  break  up  our  service.  I 
saw  in  his  countenance  that  mischief  was  brew- 


Toiling  and  Waiting.  71 

ing;  but  he  kept  quiet  till  I  had  commenced 
the  long  prayer,  when  he  began  to  laugh 
aloud  and  talk  to  others.  Immediately  I 
stopped  praying,  and  taking  him  by  the  nape 
of  the  neck  walked  him  to  the  door  of  the 
church  and  gave  him  a  vigorous  push  which 
sent  him  sprawling  out  on  the  ground.  I  then 
returned  and  resumed  my  prayer.  Occasion- 
ally we  had  lively  episodes.  The  cries  of  little 
babies  on  their  mothers'  backs  sometimes  almost 
drowned  my  voice,  but  I  never  asked  mothers 
to  leave  the  church  on  that  account.  One 
Sunday  a  man  walked  into  church  canying  a 
beaver  hat,  of  which  he  was  very  proud  ;  the 
gift  of  some  European.  It  was  his  only  article 
of  civilized  dress.  He  seated  himself,  the  hat 
by  his  side,  and  had  listened  attentively  to  the 
introductory  exercises,  when  a  hen  took  occa- 
sion to  walk  in,  fly  up,  and  lay  an  Qgg  on  one 
of  the  boards  overhead.  The  Qgg  rolled  one 
side  and  fell  directly  into  his  beloved  hat. 
Zulus  have  a  great  repugnance  to  eggs.  They 
will  not  touch  one  unless  obliged.  The  man's 
indescribable  disgust  as  he  rose,  took  up  his  hat 
at  arm's  length,  and  walked  out  of  the  chapel, 
completely  upset  the  gravity  of  the  audience. 
He  did  not  return  to  service  that  day. 

At  the  Umtwalume  station,  Saturday  even- 
ing, a  young  man,  having  decided  to  abandon 
heathenism,  called  on  Mr.  Wilder,  the  mission- 
ary, and  asked  for  a  shirt.  He  said,  "  I  want 
a  long  one  that  will  cover  my  knees."  The 
sewing  machine  was  brought  into  use,  and  in  a 


72  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus, 

short  time  the  man  had  the  satisfaction  of  put- 
ting on  his  tirst  article  of  civilized  clothing. 
On  Sabbath  morning  he  did  not  take  his  seat 
with  the  unclad  heathen  in  the  back  part  of 
the  chapel,  but  in  front  of  the  pulpit.  The 
bench  he  occupied  had  no  back,  and  to  make 
the  most  of  his  new  garment  he  raised  his  feet 
and  pulled  his  shirt  over  liis  knees.  He  re- 
mained in  this  attitude  until,  a  lit  of  drowsi- 
ness coming  over  him,  he  began  to  sway  to  and 
fro,  unconsciously  attracting  general  attention. 
The  people,  however,  retained  their  gravity 
until  he  rolled  over  like  a  ball  on  the  floor. 
Then  the  risibles  of  missionary  as  well  as 
natives  became  uncontrollable. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

WIIxD   ANIMALS. 

BETWEEN  Esidumbini  and  Mapumulo,  the 
station  of  Rev.  Andrew  Abraham,  lay  an 
immense  jungle,  in  which  elephants,  buffaloes, 
leopards,  hyenas,  and  other  wild  animals  lived 
in  comparative  security.  Only  a  few  hunters 
had  ventured  to  go  into  it.  Occasionall}^  ele- 
phants came  out  into  the  open  country,  but 
being  harassed  by  Zulus,  some  of  whom  had 
firearms,  they  were  glad  to  get  back  to  their 
retreat.  Buffaloes,  more  bold,  emerged  in 
droves  and  grazed  within  sight  of  my  house. 
They  differ  from  American  buffaloes,  or  bisons, 
having  a  hairless  skin,  and  are  more  like  huge 
swine.  Their  horns  are  generally  curved.  I 
once  came  upon  a  drove  unexpectedly  which 
ran  away  pellmell,  breaking  down  young  trees 
and  everything  that  impeded  their  progress. 
Hunting  them  is  dangerous  sport.  Baldwin,  a 
great  African  hunter,  used  to  fear  this  kind  of 
game  more  than  any  other.  A  narration  of  his 
narrow  escapes  once  made  my  blood  run  cold. 

I  had  numerous  opportunities  to  try  my  skill 
and  courage  in  shooting  these  animals,  but 
concluded  that  prudence  was  the  better  part 
of  valor.  I  could  not  refuse,  however,  lending 
my  gun  to  a  native  hunter,  that  he  might  sup- 

73 


74  Forty  Tears  Among  the  Zulus. 


ply  himself  and  friends  with  food;  but  a  sad 
accident  put  a  stop  to  this. 

The  one  I  refer  to  was  Umbulawe,  who  had 
lived  with  the  Dutch  and  engaged  in  many  a 
hunt ;  but  one  day  a  cunning  bull  buffalo  was 
too  much  for  him.  He  had  fired  once  and 
was  reloading,  when  suddenly  the  bull  rushed 
out  of  the  thicket,  knocked  him  over  with  his 
horns,  trod  upon  him,  and  with  his  rasp-like 
tongue  tore  off  a  part  of  his  scalp.  The  poor 
man  held  in  his  breath,  pretending  to  be  dead 
and  keeping  as  still  as  a  mouse,  until  the  savage 
beast,  concluding  that  life  was  extinct,  walked 
away.  He  did  not  go,  however,  until  he  had 
trampled  upon  and  broken  the  stock  of  the 
gun  into  half  a  dozen  pieces. 

Umbulawe  picked  himself  up  as  well  as  he 
could  and  soon  a  party  of  his  fiiends,  who  had 
heard  the  report  of  the  gun,  met  him  and  car- 
ried him  home.  A  few  hours  after  his  wife 
came  to  me  with  a  sad  countenance  bringing 
the  broken  parts  of  the  gun,  and  said,  "  Umbu- 
lawe is  dead."  It  turned  out,  however,  that 
the  hunter  had  yet  a  little  life  remaining  in 
him  and  that  he  was  anxious  to  see  me.  Tak- 
ing some  sticking-plaster  and  a  few  medicines, 
I  mounted  my  horse,  and  in  twenty  minutes 
rode  into  his  kraal.  He  was  spitting  blood 
and  in  great  pain,  and  had,  I  feared,  sustained 
severe  internal  injuries.  Having  doctored  him 
according  to  the  best  of  my  ability  and  given 
him  some  advice,  I  was  about  to  depart  when 
he  said,  "  I  want  you  to  make  haste   and   get 


Wild  Animals.  75 


that  gun  mended.  I  must  go  and  shoot  that 
buffalo ;  he  is  my  enemy."  In  spite  of  his 
injuries  Umbulawe  recovered  in  a  few  weeks. 

An  Englishman,  hunting  buffaloes  in  one  of 
the  forests  of  Zululand,  was  chased  by  one, 
caught  on  the  horns  by  the  strong  hunting- 
belt  he  had  around  his  waist,  and  thrown  into 
the  branches  of  a  friendly  tree  to  which  he 
gladly  clung.  The  buffalo  ran  about,  appar- 
ently in  a  quandary  as  to  where  his  game  had 
gone.  After  ten  minutes  or  more  the  beast 
departed,  and  the  tired  hunter  only  regretted 
that  he  had  not  with  him  his  gun  that  he 
might  give  him  a  farewell  charge. 

Lions,  in  considerable  numbers,  lived  on  the 
table-lands,  about  our  station,  but  rarely  came 
into  the  Esidumbini  valley.  One  ventured  to 
visit  our  premises  in  the  night,  passing  by  the 
front  door  and  walking  up  to  a  house  occupied 
by  some  Zulu  lads  in  my  employ.  Their  door 
being  ajar  and  one  of  the  boys  not  asleep,  the 
"  fire  coming  from  the  lion's  nostrils,"  as  he  ex- 
pressed it,  so  scared  him  that  he  roused  his 
companions  and  they  climbed  upon  the  rafters, 
where  they  remained  till  nearly  morning.  The 
lion  then  went  past  the  cattle  fold,  greatly 
terrifying  the  oxen  and  cows.  I  noticed  that 
the  oxen  had  made  a  ring,  the  cows  being 
inside,  that  they  might  protect  the  weaker  sex 
with  their  large  sharp  horns.  In  the  open 
veldts,  or  plains  of  South  Africa,  I  have 
been  told  that  wild  animals  have  a  wholesome 
fear   of  attacking   such  a  laager,  or  fortifica- 


76  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

tion ;  but  it  should  be  remembered  that  ox 
horus  in  South  Africa  are  generally  long  and 
large,  differing  greatly  from  those  in  Great 
Britain  or  America.  It  is  not  uncommon  to 
see  a  pair  five  and  even  six  feet  from  tip  to 
tip  and  correspondingly  large.  One  poor  ox 
was  so  unfortunate  as  to  have  a  pair  nine  feet 
long.  An  attempt  was  made  to  take  it  to 
England,  but  it  died  on  the  voyage. 

During  tlie  first  years  of  my  missionary  life 
lions  prowling  about  my  station  did  not  dis- 
turb us  or  the  natives,  if  let  alttne.  The 
country  abounded  with  antelopes,  and  on  these 
they  grew  fat.  So  long  as  they  did  not  en- 
danger our  lives  we  thought  it  best  to  have 
as  little  to  do  with  them  as  possible. 

Riding  home  one  day  from  a  meeting  of 
our  mission,  accompanied  by  a  native  lad  who 
was  also  mounted,  we  passed  within  gunshot 
of  the  largest  male  lion  I  ever  saw ;  but  he  did 
not  offer  to  touch  us.  Shaking  his  mane  and 
wagging  his  long  tail  he  walked  leisurely  away, 
much  to  my  relief,  for  I  had  no  more  formida- 
ble weapon  of  defense  than  a  jackknife.  Natives 
afterwards  told  me  that  he  had  been  in  that 
locality  several  weeks.  A  missionary  brother 
was  coming  to  visit  us  about  that  time,  and  I 
wrote  to  him,  saying,  "There  is  a  lion  in  the 
way."  The  good  brother  was  rather  incred- 
ulous, but  took  the  precaution  to  ride  on  horse- 
back ahead  of  his  wagon  and,  true  enough, 
found  the  huge  beast  in  the  spot  I  had 
described.     He  was  wise  enough  not  to  shoot, 


Wild  Animals.  77 


though  he  had  a  loaded  rifle  on  his  shoulder, 
knowing  that  a  wounded  lion  is  a  most  danger- 
ous character. 

One  of  those  brutes  inflicted  on  me  a  great 
loss  one  night,  and  I  was  glad  that  a  bullet 
from  an  Englishman's  rifle  soon  after  termi- 
nated his  existence.  I  had  sent  to  a  table-land, 
a  few  miles  from  my  house,  two  pole  oxen 
which  had  been  recently  inoculated  to  prevent 
their  dying  from  lung  sickness  and  were,  there- 
fore, in  low  condition.  Both  were  killed  by  a 
lion  of  enormous  strength,  judging  from  his 
tracks  and  the  fact  that  with  his  teeth  lie 
bi-oke  the  bone  of  one  of  the  oxen's  legs.  He 
could  not  have  been  hungry,  for  he  ate  only  a 
small  part  of  one.  Those  oxen  cost  me  nearly 
one  hundred  dollars.  A  fine  horse  strayed 
away  from  my  station  one  afternoon  and  was 
never  found,  having  probably  been  eaten  by  a 
lion.  I  was  not  sorry  when  the  country  was 
rid  of  lions. 

When  traveling  in  the  Orange  Free  State, 
which  was  noted  as  a  lion  country,  I  learned 
the  modus  operandi  adopted  by  Dutch  farmers 
in  hunting  lions.  Half  a  dozen  or  more  coura- 
geous boers  ride  on  horseback  as  far  as  they  dare 
towards  a  lion,  some  of  them  fire  with  their 
long  elephant  guns  from  their  horses  and  then 
retire  immediately,  glancing  backward,  perhaps, 
to  see  if  they  have  wounded  or  killed.  If  un- 
successful in  the  first  charge,  they  return  and 
make  another.  The  difficulty  is  to  induce  their 
horses  to  venture  within  shooting  distance,  so 


78  Forty  Yearn  Among  the  Zulus. 

great  is  their  dread  of  the  "  king  of  beasts."  A 
Dutchman,  on  whose  word  I  could  rely,  told 
me  he  had  shot  nine  lions  and  met  with  only 
one  accident,  which  was  from  the  fall  of  his 
horse  when  returning  from  a  hunt. 

A  Natal  colonist,  William  Leathern,  while 
traveling  through  the  Transvaal,  some  years 
ago,  was  obliged  to  spend  the  night  in  the 
veldt.  He  was  riding  one  liorse  and  leading 
anotlier.  After  kindling  a  fire  he  tied  the  two 
horses,  tail  to  tail,  allowing  them  to  feed  near 
by.  A  shower  descended,  putting  out  the  fire, 
and  he  was  in  deep  darkness.  Suddenly  he 
heard  one  of  his  horses  utter  a  teriible  cry, 
and  he  perceived  within  a  few  feet  of  himself 
an  enormous  lion.  He  fired  at  him  with  his 
pistol,  but  in  a  moment  the  savage  beast  was 
upon  him  inflicting  on  his  riglit  arm  a  shocking 
wound.  As  his  horses  were  both  killed,  Mr. 
Leathern  was  obliged  to  walk  thirty  miles 
befoie  he  could  reach  a  physician  and  have  his 
arm  attended  to. 

An  Englishman,  by  the  name  of  Brown,  while 
hunting  in  the  Orange  Free  State,  shot  a  lion- 
ess, the  ball  penetrating  the  skull ;  but  before 
the  Avounded  animal  died  she  sprang  upon  the 
hunter  and  killed  him.  Their  dead  bodies  were 
found  side  by  side. 

Readers  of  the  life  and  travels  of  Dr.  Living- 
stone will  doubtless  recall  the  narrow  escape  of 
that  great  explorer.  He  had  fired  the  contents 
of  both  barrels  of  his  gun  into  a  lion,  and  was 
in  the  act  of  reloading  when  the  beast  sprang 


Wild  Animals.  79 


upon  him,  catcliing  him  by  the  shoulder  and 
shaking  him  as  a  cat  does  a  rat.  The  doctor, 
in  describing  his  sensations  at  the  time,  said: 
"The  shock  caused  a  sort  of  dreaminess  in 
which  there  was  no  sense  of  pain  nor  feeling 
of  terror,  though  quite  conscious  of  all  that 
was  happening.  It  was  what  patients,  partially 
under  the  influence  of  chloroform,  describe  who 
see  the  operation  but  feel  not  the  knife.  The 
shake  annihilated  fear  and  allowed  no  sense  of 
horror  in  looking  around  at  the  beast.  This 
peculiar  state  is  probably  produced  in  all  ani- 
mals killed  by  the  carnivora.  And  if  so,  it  is  a 
merciful  provision  of  our  benevolent  Creator 
for  lessening  the  pain  of  death."  When  the 
remains  of  the  distinguished  explorer  were 
taken  to  England  one  of  the  marks  by  which 
they  were  identified  was  that  caused  by  the 
teeth  of  the  lion  on  his  shoulder  bone. 

Another  animal  that  used  to  make  us  visits 
on  dark  nights  was  the  leopard.  I  once  found 
myself  a  little  too  near  one  to  be  agreeable. 
Hearinof  the  cries  of  a  fowl  that  roosted  on  a 
tree  in  front  of  our  dwelling,  I  rushed  out, 
armed  with  only  a  broomstick,  to  see  what  was 
the  matter.  Suddenly  I  found  myself  only  a 
yard  or  two  from  a  large  spotted  leopard  busily 
eating  the  fowl.  But  the  greatest  terror  must 
have  seized  him  at  my  ghostlike  appearance ; 
for,  leaping  over  a  high  pomegranate  fence,  he 
made  off  as  fast  as  possible.  Leopards  often 
came  for  sheep  and  goats  which  on  cold  and 
rainy  nights  had  not  been  driven  to  the  kraals ; 


80  Forty  Yearn  Among  the  Zulus. 


and  in  such  cases  I  poisoned  them  for  the 
natives  with  strychnine,  always  receiving  the 
skins  fur  my  tremble. 

Other  wild  animals  to  which  it  was  necessary 
to  give  a  wide  berth  were  wild  dogs.  They 
usually  go  in  troops,  and  if  hungry,  like  Sibe- 
rian wolves,  attack  human  beings.  Should  an 
ox  or  cow,  on  account  of  lameness  or  disease, 
be  unable  to  reach  the  cattle  fold  before  dark, 
those  animals  were  almost  sure  to  ilnd  it.  Dr. 
Adams,  riding  one  night  in  an  unfrequented 
part  of  the  colony  to  visit  a  patient,  was 
chased  by  a  troop  of  these  creatures.  At  last 
he  turned  and  n)de  towards  them,  cracking  his 
horsewhip  furiously  and  succeeded  thus  in 
intimidating  them. 

Troops  of  baboons  lived  on  a  large  table-land 
lying  between  Esidumbini  and  Umsuuduzi,  a 
station  occupied  by  Rev.  L.  Grout,  and  as  I 
often  rode  over  to  see  that  brother  I  almost 
invariably  came  in  contact  with  them ;  but  we 
got  to  understand  each  other  so  well  that  I  had 
no  fear  and  they  seemed  to  be  of  the  same 
mind.  Occasionally,  for  amusement,  I  would 
try  to  show  them  how  brave  I  could  be  an<l 
ride  on  my  horse  to  within  a  few  yards  of 
them.  An  old  baboon,  the  father  and  appar- 
ently ruler  of  the  colony,  would  mount  on  an 
ant-heap,  four  or  five  feet  high,  and  carefully 
watch  my  proceedings.  If  he  suspected  mis- 
chief, —  saw  anything  in  my  hands  that  looked 
like  firearms,  —  he  would  make  a  signal  to  all 
the  mothers  and  little  baboons  to  flee  to  their 


Wild  Animals.  81 


homes  on  a  precipice  near  by.  But  if  not,  he 
kept  quiet,  and  we  exchanged  grimaces  and 
remarks  also ;  I  addressing  him  now  in  English 
and  now  in  Zulu,  and  he  me  in  his  baboon 
dialect.  Not  for  the  world  would  I  have  pro- 
voked an  attack  from  him,  for  I  would  have 
stood  no  chance  unless  well  armed.  A  large, 
valuable  dog  ventured  one  day  to  assail  one  of 
these  fellows  and  was  torn  almost  to  pieces. 
Natives  frequently  came  to  me  to  borrow  my 
gun,  saying  that  baboons  were  robbing  their 
gardens.  At  early  dawn,  before  the  people  had 
come  out  of  their  huts,  a  foraging  party  of 
these  animals  would  make  a  raid  into  a  garden, 
pluck  the  ears  of  corn  nearly  ripe,  place  them 
under  their  arms,  steal  a  pumpkin  or  two  and 
run  away  to  their  hiding-place  among  the  rocks. 
Emin  Holub,  in  his  "  Seven  Years  in  South 
Africa,"  tells  us  that  on  the  highlands  he  was 
once  pelted  by  a  herd  of  baboons  perched 
among  the  trees.  He  said  he  had  to  shoot  an 
old  male  that  began  to  pick  up  some  stones  to 
throw  at  him.  Members  of  the  same  family, 
living  on  the  lowlands,  have  not  attained  to 
such  a  degree  of  intelligence  as  to  defend  them- 
selves in  that  fashion.  Certainly  they  are  far 
removed  from  those  North  African  specimens, 
of  which  Emin  Pasha  told  Mr.  Stanley,  "that 
understand  the  art  of  fire-making  and  carry 
torches  at  night  when  they  visit  the  planta- 
tions of  the  Mswa  to  steal  fruit."  The  Pasha 
said  he  had  seen  this  with  his  own  eyes.  If 
blind  or  nearly  so,  as  he  is  represented  to  be, 


82  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

his  vision  of  baboon  fire-makers  must  have 
been  extremely  dim. 

Natiirulists,  I  believe,  class  these  creatures 
under  the  family  of  "  pig-faced  baboons  ;  "  but 
their  countenances  seemed  too  human  to  de- 
serve such  an  appellation.  I  never  had  the 
heart  to  shoot  one,  lest  his  dying  struggles 
should  appear  to  me  in  my  midnight  dreams. 

At  the  present  time  very  few  wild  animals 
are  found  in  Natal.  Occasionally  a  leopard  is 
killed,  but  elephants,  lions,  and  wild  dogs  have 
disappeared. 


CHAPTER   X. 

CROCODILES    AND    SNAKES. 

AN  object  of  terror  to  the  early  mission- 
-  aries  in  Natal,  when  the  bridgeless  and 
boatless  rivers  were  swollen,  was  the  crocodile 
family.  I  say  crocodile,  for  no  alligators  are 
found  in  South  Africa.  Travelers  generally 
forded  rivers  on  horseback  or  in  ox-wagons. 
The  loud  crack  of  the  whip  and  shouting  of 
the  driver  intimidated  these  reptiles  and  kept 
them  at  safe  distance  ;  but  a  person  on  foot  or 
on  horseback  was  liable  to  be  seized. 

Mr.  J.  A.  Butler,  a  printer,  connected  with 
the  American  Mission,  once  had  a  marvel- 
ous escape.  He  was  swimming  his  horse  over 
a  turbid  stream,  when  the  animal  became 
frightened  and  he  discovered  that  a  _  huge 
crocodile  had  hold  of  him.  The  scaly  brute, 
leaving  the  horse,  seized  the  rider,  dragged 
him  from  his  saddle  and  would  have  made 
him  his  prey  had  not  Mr.  Butler  clung  to 
the  horse's  mane.  When  he  reached  the  bank 
of  the  river,  he  caught  hold  of  some  reeds 
and  held  on  to  them  until  a  party  of  Zulus, 
who  had  witnessed  the  exciting  scene,  rushed 
to  his  relief.  Even  then  the  brute  would  not 
relax  his  hold,  till  the  natives  had  beaten  him 
on   the   head  with    clubs   and  pried   open   his 


84  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

jaws.  They  then  helped  Mr.  Butler  out, 
bound  up  his  wounds,  and  accompanied  him 
to  the  nearest  mission  station,  six  miles  dis- 
tant. The  poor  man  recovered,  but  was  a 
sufferer  from  the  wounds  he  received  the  rest 
of  his  life. 

Escapes  from  a  crocodile,  after  he  has  fairly 
seized  one,  are  rare,  but  sometimes  occur.  It 
is  reported  that  an  Englishman  while  bathing 
was  drawn  by  one  into  deep  water  ;  but  having 
been  told  that  crocodiles  are  sensitive  about 
their  eyes,  he  thrust  his  fists  into  them,  and 
the  reptile  not  fancying  this  treatment  let  go 
his  hold.  The  man,  though  badly  lacerated, 
lived  many  years. 

A  laughable  story  is  told  by  George  Cato, 
Esq.,  American  Consul  at  Port  Natal,  of  Pot- 
geiter  Dorse,  a  Dutchman.  Dorse,  while  hunt- 
ing, decided  to  have  a  bath  in  the  Umhlali 
River.  Leaving  his  clothing  on  the  river's  bank, 
together  with  his  gun  and  hunting-knife,  he 
engaged  peacefully  in  his  ablutions ;  but 
when  he  had  finished  he  did  not  find  the 
clothes  where  he  had  left  them.  Crocodile 
tracks  explained  the  matter  and  soon  he 
obtained  sight  of  the  thief  on  a  sand  bank 
a  few  yards  away.  Taking  good  aim  he  gave 
him  a  fatal  shot  in  the  brain.  Then  with  his 
knife  he  opened  the  brute,  secured  his  clothes, 
none  the  worse  apparently  for  the  mangling 
they  had  received,  put  them  on  and  went 
home. 

William  Baldwin,  in  his  book   on  "African 


Crocodiles  and  Snakes.  85 

Hunting,"  tells  us  of  shooting  several  geese 
wliich  disappeared  as  soon  as  they  were  shot, 
being  drawn  under  water  by  some  unseen  crea- 
ture. Determined  to  secure  at  least  one,  he 
waded  into  the  pond  and  caught  hold  of  it  by 
the  legs  just  as  it  was  sinking,  a  crocodile  hav- 
ing taken  the  first  hold.  He  observes  :  "  In  an 
instant  the  goose  came  in  halves,  the  legs  and 
back  falling  to  my  share,  Mr.  Alligator  getting 
the  best  half  and  two  or  three  violent  blows 
on  the  nose  into  the  bargain."  He  adds,  "  I 
lost  not  an  instant  in  getting  ashore  again 
and  did  not  think  much  at  the  time  of  what 
a  foolish  thing  it  was  to  do  and  what  a  narrow 
escape  I  had  had." 

Dr.  Livingstone  speaks  of  the  Barotzi  tribe, 
living  on  the  Zambezi,  as  inclined  to  pray  to 
these  reptiles  and  to  eat  them  too ;  but  the 
Zulus  manifest  no  disposition  to  do  either. 
They  use  various  parts  of  the  body,  however, 
for  medicinal  purposes.  If  one  of  the  Baman- 
gwato  people  has  the  misfortune  to  be  bitten 
by  a  crocodile,  he  is  expelled  from  his  tribe. 
Dr.  Livingstone  said  that  he  met  with  a  man 
in  exile  who  refused  to  tell  him  the  cause,  but 
some  of  his  native  attendants  informed  him, 
and  the  scars  visible  on  his  thigh  attested  the 
truth  of  their  assertion. 

South  Africa  is  emphatically  a  land  of 
snakes.  They  are  so  common,  and  the  stories 
told  of  them  are  so  exaggerated,  that  strangers 
coming  to  the  colony  are  in  terror  of  them  for 
months.     An  Englishman,  who  had  landed  iu 


86  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

Natal  a  week  or  two  before,  stopped  one  night 
at  my  house.  Upon  retiring  he  searched  his 
room  carefully  for  the  possible  snake  he  might 
find  lurking  in  some  corner.  Seeing  what  he 
supposed  to  be  a  deadly  serpent  he  rushed 
out  and  insisted  that  I  should  call  some  one 
to  assist  me  in  killing  the  creature.  Four 
native  boys  armed  with  knob-kerries  and  canes, 
and  eager  for  the  fray,  went  into  the  room ; 
but  after  long  searching  found  only  the  cover 
of  a  pail  which  had  been  pusiied  into  the 
corner. 

Serpents  very  rarely  attack  a  human  being, 
except  in  self-defense.  There  is  much  truth 
in  the  following  statement  taken  from  a  Natal 
paper : — 

"  Nearly  all  the  wounds  inflicted  by  venomous 
snakes  upon  men  are  the  result  of  the  want  of 
a  frank  understanding  between  the  parties. 
The  gentleman  inadvertently  sets  his  foot  on 
the  reptile's  tail,  and  the  reptile,  under  the  im- 
pression that  the  insult  was  premeditated,  re- 
sents the  action ;  or  the  gentleman  has  a 
friend  who  wishes  for  a  green  snake  to  put  in 
a  bottle  and  endeavors  to  induce  some  slippery 
individual  of  the  race  to  the  bottling  condition, 
while  the  snake,  knowing  nothing  of  the  honor 
of  the  embalmment  for  which  he  is  marked  out, 
does  his  best  to  give  his  assailant  'pause,'  in 
order  that  he  may  take  himself  out  of  the 
way  during  the  cessation  of  the  strife." 

Many  of  the  harmless  snakes  in  South 
Africa   so   resemble   the   poisonous    ones   that 


Crocodiles  and  Snakes.  87 

it  is  often  difficult  to  distinguish  them.  It 
would  hardly  be  safe  for  a  person  in  Natal  to 
imitate  the  author  of  Pilgrim's  Progress,  of 
whom  it  is  said  in  his  memoir  that,  "  One  day 
an  adder  crossed  his  path  and  after  stun- 
ning it  with  his  stick,  he  opened  its  mouth 
and  with  his  fingers  plucked  out  its  fangs," 
by  which  act  he  says,  "  Had  not  God  been 
merciful  to  me,  I  might  by  my  desperateness 
have  brought  myself  to  my  end."  English 
adders  cannot  be  handled  with  impunity,  much 
less  African. 

The  largest  serpent  in  South  Africa  is  the 
python,  or  Natal  rock  snake.  No  true  boa 
constrictors  are  found  in  Africa,  their  habitat 
being  South  America,  India,  the  Moluccas, 
Cuba,  and  Australia.  Du  Cliaillu  speaks  of 
a  python  in  Equatorial  Africa  measuring 
over  thirty-three  feet  in  length.  In  the 
southern  part  of  the  continent  I  never  heard 
of  one  more  than  twenty-three  feet,  and  the 
longest  I  ever  saw  was  twenty-one  feet.  If 
attacked,  a  python  will  wind  itself  about  a 
human  being  and  crush  him  to  death ;  but  for 
food  it  usually  prefers  small  mammalia,  such 
as  conies,  rabbits,  etc. 

Mr.  Thomas  Baines,  a  traveler  and  artist 
in  South  Africa,  relates  an  incident  he  received 
from  a  Dutch  boer.  "  One  of  these  pythons 
finding  a  native  asleep  began  to  swallow  him, 
but  commencing  at  the  wrong  end,  and  taking 
only  one  foot  into  his  mouth,  was  unable  to 
draw   him   farther   than    the   fork,    and   then. 


88  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 


endeavoring  to  eject  the  limb,  was  prevented 
by  his  crooked  fangs  sticking  in  the  Hesli. 
The  native  awakening  screamed  lustily,  but 
no  help  came,  and  his  leg  remained  a  whole 
day  and  night  in  the  snake's  throat  before  help 
arrived  to  set  him  free." 

A  sportsman  in  Natal  once  found  a  python 
asleep  and  disturbed  its  slumber  by  a  charge 
of  buckshot.  After  repeated  contortions  the 
creature  straightened  itself  out  and  appeared 
to  be  dead.  Wishing  to  save  its  skin,  tlic 
sportsman  offered  his  native  servant  a  rewaid 
if  he  would  carry  it  to  his  home.  As  he  was 
reluctant  to  do  so,  on  the  ground  that  the  ser- 
pent was  only  "pretending  to  be  dead,"  the 
master  took  it  up  and  carried  it  a  little  wa}^ 
himself.  The  native  then  mustered  courage 
to  shoulder  the  reptile,  but  soon  shouted  to 
his  master,  '■'-  Nkosi  ngi  size  (Master,  help  me)  !" 
The  python  had  put  his  teeth  into  the  native's 
thigh  and  was  lashing  its  tail  violently  in  vari- 
ous directions  for  a  stump  or  stone  to  which  to 
fasten  itself.  Had  not  the  sportsman  rushed  to 
his  help,  the  poor  Zulu  might  have  had  an 
uncomfortable,  if  not  fatal,  squeeze. 

The  largest  python  I  ever  saw  was  brought 
to  me  by  a  party  of  Zulus  who  had  found  it 
attempting  to  swallow  an  antelope.  Tlie  horns 
were  too  spreading  to  be  disposed  of,  and  the 
serpent  was  robbed  of  its  meal  by  the  natives, 
who  immediately  feasted  upon  the  venison,  and 
brought  the  snake  to  me.  The  creature  meas- 
ured eighteen  feet,  and  was  the  longest  I  ever 


Crocodiles  and  Snakes.  89 

skinned.  So  great  is  the  vitality  of  the  python 
that  I  once  saw  one  wrigo'lino-  its  tail  several 
hours  after  it  had  been  killed. 

In  his  "Curiosities  of  Natural  History," 
Frank  Buckland  relates  that  two  pythons,  one 
nine  and  the  other  eight  feet  in  length,  were 
kept  in  a  box  in  the  Zoological  Gardens 
in  London.  One  morning  the  keeper  found 
the  shorter  serpent  missing,  and  on  examina- 
tion noticed  that  the  longer  one  was  greatly 
distended,  having  swallov/ed  his  companion. 
As  the  Zulus  believe  that  the  spirits  of  then- 
ancestors  take  up  their  abode  in  serpents  they 
never  eat  them,  as  do  some  tribes  in  Central 
Africa. 

The  puff  adder  is  a  much-dreaded  snake, 
owing  to  its  habit  of  lying  in  frequented  paths 
and  its  resemblance  to  pieces  of  decayed  wood. 
In  Cape  Colony  they  are  often  seen  as  large  as 
a  man's  arm,  and  a  bite  from  an  adder  is  diffi- 
cult to  cure.  One  day  a  little  son  of  Mr. 
Lindley  came  upon  a  large  adder,  and,  though  a 
boy  only  six  years  old,  he  took  off  his  shoe  and 
killed  it ;  then  seizing  it  by  the  tail  he  dragged 
it  home. 

A  cry  dreaded  by  natives  and  white  peo- 
ple alike  is  that  of  "  Imamha !  Imamba ! " 
especially  if  the  word  emyama  (black)  is  added. 
The  imambas  are  slender  snakes  of  a  vivid 
green  or  black  color,  the  latter  being  by  far  the 
more  dangerous  and  dreaded  serpent.  If  one 
enters  a  Zulu  hut,  the  greatest  consternation 
prevails,  and   no   native    will   try  to   kill   one 


90  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

unless  he  is  well  armed.  Calling  early  one 
morning  on  a  sugar  planter,  whom  I  found  at 
his  mill,  we  were  suddenly  surprised  by  the 
appearance  of  a  servant,  highly  excited,  saying, 
"The  mistress  needs  you;  there  is  a  snake  in 
her  bedroom  I "'  We  hastened  to  the  house 
and  saw  a  huge  imamba,  which  had  just  been 
killed  by  an  Indian  coolie.  It  had  crawled 
into  the  bedroom  and  concealed  itself  in  a 
manilla  hat,  near  the  head  of  the  bed.  When 
the  good  housewife  went  to  make  the  bed  she 
saw  his  serpentship  coiled  up  in  the  hat,  but 
had  sufficient  presence  of  mind  to  keep  quiet 
until  her  servant  could  iniiict  a  fatal  blow. 
The  planter  told  me  that  he  had  felt  something 
creeping  over  his  body  in  the  night,  but  was 
too  sleepy  to  ascertain  the  cause.  Had  he  been 
bitten,  instant  death  would  have  ensued. 

The  green  imamba,  though  not  so  dangerous, 
is  more  common.  A  missionar}'  sent  a  native 
into  the  garden  for  a  bunch  of  bananas.  The 
boy  did  his  errand,  bringing  the  bananas  to  the 
house  on  his  head.  As  he  put  down  the 
bunch,  an  imamba  slowly  uncoiled  itself  from 
the  fruit.  The  native,  it  was  said,  turned 
almost  white  on  seeing  the  danger  to  which  he 
had  been  exposed. 

A  story  is  told  of  a  gentleman  in  India,  who 
was  so  disturbed  by  a  noise  under  the  floor  of 
his  room  that  he  cut  a  hole  through  and  baited 
a  hook  with  a  toad.  Seeing  the  line  move  he 
pulled  it  up  and  found  he  had  a  poisonous 
snake. 


Crocodiles  and  Snakes.  91 

Once  I  was  exceedingly  annoyed  by  tlie 
noise  made  by  some  rats  over  my  head.  Sud- 
denly all  became  quiet  and  I  supposed  a  cat 
had  found  its  way  above  the  ceiling.  I  ascer- 
tained soon  after  that  instead  of  a  cat  it  was 
a  snake. 

That  snakes  are  famous  rat-catchers  I  had 
evidence  another  time.  My  stable,  after  hav- 
ing been  overrun  with  rats,  was  all  at  once 
entirely  free  from  them.  A  few  days  after- 
wards my  son  was  standing  in  the  stable  and 
saw  an  imamba,  ten  feet  long,  coiled  about  a 
beam  a  few  yards  above  his  head.  A  shot 
ended  his  existence,  and  two  days  later  the 
mate  was  also  disposed  of. 

It  is  not  unusual  to  see  these  creatures  mov- 
ing along  the  branches  of  trees  in  search  of 
weaver  birds'  nests,  and  I  have  frequently  seen 
one  put  its  long  slender  neck  into  the  hanging 
nest  to  enjoy  its  feast  of  young  birds.  The 
parent  birds  in  the  meantime  utter  most 
pathetic  cries,  but  are  helpless  before  their 
enemy. 

One  of  the  pioneer  missionaries  showed 
great  courage  and  nerve-force  one  Sabbath. 
During  the  sermon  a  green  imamba  moved 
along  and  coiled  itself  on  a  beam  just  above 
the  preacher's  head.  The  sermon  was  finished 
and  prayer  and  benediction  pronounced  before 
the  order  to  kill  the  snake  was  given. 

Another  missionary,  hearing  a  rustling  in  his 
room  one  night  after  retiring,  found  an  imamba 
moving  about  and  killed  it.     Very  soon  he  was 


92  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

again  disturbed  and  found  the  mate  to  the  first 
snake- 
Zulus  do  not  swish  the  air  with  rods,  or  rub 
the  soles  of  their  feet  with  garlic,  to  keep 
snakes  at  a  distance  as  do  the  natives  of  West- 
ern Africa,  but  they  sometimes  use  tobacco  for 
this  purpose.  Serpents  will  not  enter  a  hut 
which  has  a  strong  odor  of  the  "filthy  weed." 
Should  one  show  more  vitality  than  is  agree- 
able after  receiving  fatal  wounds,  a  Zulu  will 
sometimes  pry  open  its  jaw  and  insert  a  little 
snuff,  and  its  contortions  cease  almost  instantly. 
The  chief  remedy  I  have  found  successful 
for  snakebites  is  ammonia  ;  though  some  use 
ipecacuanha.  Fresh  milk,  if  given  immedi- 
ately after  a  bite,  is  said  to  be  a  good  antidote, 
but  I  never  tried  it.  The  natives  use  the  root 
of  the  yellow  daphne.  It  is  said  that  toads 
bitten  are  seen  hopping  to  the  vmuti  ^cenldanij- 
tvana,  the  herb  used  as  an  antidote  for  the  bite 
of  a  serpent,  called  inJdangivana.  It  is  mar- 
velous that  so  few  people  are  fatally  bitten, 
considering  how  numerous  serpents  are.  I 
have  never  heard  of  a  missionary  having  lost 
his  life  in  this  way. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

SPIRIT   WORSHIP. 

IT  is  often  said  that  "  Zulus  are  snake 
worshipers."  This  is  not  strictly  true. 
Amatongo  (ancestral  spirits)  are  the  objects  of 
their  worship.  When  the  body  dies,  the 
umoya  (soul,  or  spirit)  is  supposed  to  take  up 
its  abode  in  a  snake,  or  to  assume  the  form  of 
this  reptile.  An  intelligent  Zulu,  not  a  Chris- 
tian, thus  explains  the  belief  of  his  countrymen 
on  this  subject :  — 

"We  believe  that  there  are  good  and  evil 
spirits ;  the  good  ones  watching  over  us  for 
good,  and  the  evil  ones  ready  to  do  us  harm. 
Some  spirits,  the  good  ones,  those  of  our 
families,  who  are  interested  in  our  welfare, 
are  allowed  to  assume  the  form  of  a  certain 
snake,  and  by  that  means  not  only  form  a 
link  between  us  and  the  world  of  spirits,  but 
in  the  guise  of  a  snake  they  are  permitted 
thus  to  watch  over  us.  We  believe  in  the 
spirit  the  snake    represents." 

The  soul  of  a  king  or  any  distinguished 
person  is  represented  by  the  imamba,  a  fierce 
and  venomous  serpent,  surpassed  only  by  the 
python  in  size  and  length.  Common  people 
assume  the  form  of  harmless  and  quiet  ser- 
pents.    To  kill  an  itongo  (spirit),  or  rather  its 


y 


94  Forty  Tears  Among  the  Zulus. 

serpent  representative,  is  a  crime  to  be  atoned 
for  immediately,  lest  some  dire  calamity  result. 
An  ox  or  cow  must  be  slaughtered ;  blood 
must  be  shed.  "  Without  shedding  of  blood 
there  is  no  remission."  Immediately  after 
death  the  graves  of  Zulu  men  (not  of  women, 
except  in  the  case  of  a  queen)  are  fenced 
about,  covered  with  thorns,  and  closely  watched 
for  weeks,  sometimes  for  months,  lest  a  witeli 
or  poisoner  disturb  the  remains.  Should  the 
watcher  happen  to  see  a  snake  among  the 
thorns,  he  would  remark  to  his  friends,  "  I 
saw  the  spirit  of  our  father  to-day  basking 
in  the  sun  on  the  top  of  his  grave."  Were 
he  kind  and  gentle  when  alive,  he  would 
probably  add :  "  We  need  not  fear,  he  will 
still  treat  us  in  the  same  way  he  did  when 
alive." 

Dr.  Henry  M.  Callaway,  in  conversation 
with  the  natives,  obtained  the  following  infor- 
mation :  — 

When  sickness  invades  a  kraal,  the  oldest 
son  praises  the  spirit  of  his  father  or  grand- 
father, giving  him  the  names  he  has  gained 
by  valor  in  battle.  He  sometimes  chides  as 
well  as  praises,  especially  if  the  sickness  seems 
likely  to  terminate  fatally,  saying,  "  If  we 
should  all  die  in  consequence  of  the  affliction 
you  are  sending  upon  us,  your  worshipers 
will  come  to  an  end ;  therefore,  for  your  own 
sake  as  well  as  ours,  do  not  destroy  us." 

When  a  family  moves  to  another  part  of 
the  country  and  does  not  see  in  the  new  place 


Spirit  Worship.  95 

the  snake  representing  the  paternal  spirit,  they 
conclude  that  it  has  remained  behind  and 
return  to  sacrifice  an  ox,  giving  thanks  and 
singing  the  same  songs  the  father  sang  when 
alive.  This  they  maintain  is  to  excite  pity, 
so  that  he  may  say :  "  Truly,  my  children 
are  lonely  because  they  do  not  see  me."  If 
a  widow  left  with  small  children  neglects  them, 
the  spirit  of  the  departed  husband  is  likely  to 
appear  to  her  in  a  dream,  saying,  "  Why  have 
you  left  my  children?  Go  back  to  them.  If 
you  do  not,  I  will  kill  you."  The  command 
is  generally  heeded. 

Zulu  ancestral  spirits  are  not  free  from 
jealousy.  When  an  animal  is  sacrificed  by  the 
headman  of  a  kraal  to  appease  the  spirits  and 
avert  death,  he  will  go  outside  the  cattle  en- 
closure and  pray  as  follows :  "  All  hail,  spirits 
of  our  tribe !  Is  it  proper,  instead  of  asking 
for  food,  that  you  should  come  to  us  at  all 
times  in  the  form  of  sickness  ?  No,  it  is  proper 
if  you  demand  food  that  I  should  not  refuse 
it.  There,  then,"  pointing  to  the  slaughtered 
animal,  "is  your  food.  All  ye  spirits  of  our 
tribe,  summon  one  another !  I  am  not  going  to 
say,  So-and-so,  there  is  your  food,  for  you  are 
jealous.  I  give  you  what  you  ask.  Let  the 
man  get  well." 

Were  there  certain  imperfections  on  the  body 
of  a  man  while  living;  had  he  for  instance  but 
one  eye  or  did  he  go  lame,  the  serpent  repre- 
sentative is  sure  to  resemble  him. 

Zulus  sometimes  connect  shadows  with  spir- 


96  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

its.  They  say,  "The  shadow  that  is  east  by 
the  body  will  ultimately  become  the  itongo,  or 
spirit,  when  the  body  dies."  A  missionary, 
wishing  to  get  at  the  meaning  of  the  above, 
inquired,  "  Is  the  shadow  which  my  body  casts 
when  I  am  walking  my  spirit?"  Tlie  rL'j)ly 
was,  "No;  it  is  not  your  itongo  (guardian  spirit 
watching  over  you),  but  it  will  be  the  itongo 
for  your  children  when  you  are  dead."  Long 
shadows,  they  say,  sliorten  as  men  approach 
the  end  of  life.  At  death  the  observation  is, 
"  The  shadow  hath  departed."  A  short  shadow, 
however,  remains  with  the  dead  body  and  is 
buried  with  it.  The  long  shadow  becomes  an 
itongo. 

Vows  to  sacrifice  to  the  spirits  are  frequently 
made  by  Zulus.  If  a  child  is  ill  and  the 
diviner  has  not  been  consulted,  the  father 
addresses  the  spirits  thus :  "  If  it  is  you,  people 
of  our  house,  who  are  doing  this,  I  make  a 
vow :  behold,  there  is  such  and  such  a  bullock ! 
Let  the  child  get  well,  that  you  may  eat;  "  or, 
if  he  does  not  possess  a  bullock,  the  father 
cries,  "  If  you  wish  for  food,  why  do  you  not 
cure  my  child,  that  I  may  go  and  get  you  a 
bullock  and  kill  it  for  you  that  you  may  eat? 
How  shall  I  know  it  is  you  if  the  child  does 
not  get  well?"  1 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  that  ancestral 
spirits  are  the  objects  of  Zulu  worship,  and 
the  same  may  be  said  of  native  tribes  generally 
in   South    Africa.     Their    influence    not    only 

'  See  Callaway,  on  "  Ancestor  Worship." 


Spirit  Worship.  97 

over  individuals,  but  over  all  mundane  affairs, 
is,  in  the  estimation  of  the  heathen,  incalculably 
great.  The  nature  of  that  influence  depends 
on  their  disposition,  for  they  can  be  benevolent 
or  malevolent — guardian  angels  sweet  and 
kind,  or  cruel  and  destructive.  They  can 
make  crops  productive  or  blast  them  ;  can 
cause  health  and  prosperity,  or  send  disease 
and  death.  Before  going  to  war  it  has  been 
a  Zulu  custom,  from  time  immemorial,  to  send 
individuals  into  the  enemy's  country  to  steal 
a  child,  who  is  offered  as  a  sacrifice  to  the 
spirits  to  obtain  their  favor  and  insure  victory. 
If  successful,  the  blood  of  oxen  and  goats 
flows  freely  from  their  altars,  and  their  thanks- 
givings are  profuse. 

In  reference  to  the  locality  of  the  departed 
spirits,  the  natives  universally  say,  "  It  is  pansi 
(regions  under  the  earth)."  The  manner  in 
which  they  obtained  a  knowledge  of  Hades  is 
given  to  us  in  one  of  their  traditions.  A  hun- 
ter chased  a  deer  into  a  deep  hole  made  by  an 
ant-bear,  and  following  it  he  descended  deeper 
and  deeper  till  he  came  to  the  abode  of  his 
ancestors.  On  his  return  he  reported  an  abun- 
dance of  cattle,  all  white,  and  food  in  sufficient 
quantity.  Indeed,  the  subterraneans  were  in 
good  circumstances.  The  number  of  those 
who  place  any  faith  in  this  tradition  is  few. 
Deeply  conscious  of  a  future  state,  most  of 
them  have  fearful  forebodings  of  what  may 
befall  them  in  that  state.  A  Zulu  man  once 
said   to   me   as   he   was   about   to  die,  "  I  am 


98  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

sinking  into  a  dark  deep  pit.  I  am  afraid."  He 
expressed  the  feeling  of  benighted  Africans 
generally.  Their  religion,  if  spirit  worship 
can  be  called  religion,  affords  no  comfort 
in  a  dying  hour.  For  many  years  I  watched 
carefully  the  workings  of  the  native  mind  in 
times  of  trouble.  It  is  then  they  apply  to  the 
spirits  for  aid.  Healthy  and  strong,  with  food 
in  abundance,  and  that  of  the  most  nutritious 
kind,  naturally  vivacious  and  cheerful  in  tem- 
perament, reveling  in  the  excitement  of  the 
hunt,  the  dance,  beer  part}',  or  carousal  over 
the  slaughtered  ox,  they  are  as  happy  as  bar- 
barians can  be.  Unrestrained  in  body  or  mind 
they  enjoy  life  in  their  salubrious  climate  to 
a  great  degree.  Smiles  are  generally  seen  on 
their  faces,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  a  more 
social  people  can  anywhere  be  found ;  but 
when  visited  by  afiliction  their  deepest  pas- 
sions are  excited.  In  case  of  death  the  head- 
man of  the  kraal  looks  up  and  around  him  and 
says,  "This  is  mysterious.  We  shall  all  die 
if  something  is  not  done."  In  many  cases  the 
disease  is  unknown  or  it  baffles  the  skill 
of  physicians,  which  is  not  strange,  for  Zulu 
"  medicine  men,"  in  attempting  to  save  life,  as 
frequently  destroy  it  by  cramming  down  a 
multitude  of  drugs  without  stopping  to  watch 
the  effect  of  one.  The  afflicted  man  fixes 
his  suspicion  on  some  individual  with  whom  he 
has  been  at  variance,  but  having  no  clew  which 
would  satisfy  the  minds  of  others  he  calls  the 
people    together.     The   attendance    is    usually 


Spirit  Worship.  99 

large,  for  the  neighbors  fear  lest  their  absence 
be  construed  into  an  indication  of  guilt.  With 
grave  countenances  they  seat  themselves  in 
a  circle  on  the  ground,  and  after  the  usual  salu- 
tation and  passing  round  the  snuffbox,  the 
troubled  individual  begins  his  speech  :  "  Men, 
friends !  to-day  you  see  me  in  grief.  You  all 
know  I  am  a  man  of  peace.  I  have  wronged 
no  one.  I  have  eaten  my  own  food  and 
attended  to  my  own  business  ;  but  an  enemy 
is  plotting  my  ruin.  My  brother  has  been 
suddenly  taken  away.  A  wizard  is  destroying 
us.  Tell  me  what  I  must  do."  The  replies 
are  guarded,  but  all  unite  in  the  opinion  that 
no  time  should  be  lost  or  expense  begrudged 
in  applying  to  a  diviner  and  through  him  to 
the  spirit  world,  that  the  foul  deed  may  be 
traced  to  its  source. 

The  character  and  functions  of  Zulu  divin- 
ers, or  spirit  doctors,  may  be  briefly  described. 
Various  names  are  given  to  them.  One  is 
izinyanga  zokubula  (doctors  of  smiting),  be- 
cause great  use  is  made  of  canes  in  smiting 
the  ground  by  those  who  consult  them.  An- 
other is  izanusi  (smellers  out),  or  discover- 
ers of  criminals  and  those  possessed  with 
witchcraft,  believed  to  be  in  communication 
with  the  amatongo. 

The  diviners  work  powerfully  on  the  super- 
stitions of  their  countrymen.  That  they  may 
become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  their  art, 
they  endure  a  great  amount  of  self-sacrifice. 
For  instance,  they  leave    their   homes,  isolate 


100  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

themselves  from  their  fellows,  live  and  sleep  in 
solitary  places,  fraternize  with  wild  animals, 
endure  hunger  and  cold  and  talk  to  the  moon 
until  they  become  ahnost,  if  not  quite,  lunatic. 

Their  clothing  is  hideous,  consisting  of  skins 
of  crocodiles  and  pythons,  with  the  teeth  of 
wild  cats  and  fetiches  of  various  kinds  about 
their  necks,  the  bladders  of  birds  and  wild 
beasts  on  their  heads,  and  a  long  leopard's  skin 
dangling  about  their  loins. 

They  formerly  possessed  unlimited  power 
over  their  deluded  countrymen.  One  visited 
an  American  mission  station  in  Natal  and 
warned  those  who  had  nominally'  embraced 
Christianity  that  if  they  remained  longer 
under  the  influence  of  the  white  teacher  the^*^ 
would  all  die.  Terrified  and  weak  in  the  faith 
many  left  at  once,  some  never  to  return. 

Having  observed  closely  the  izanusi  while 
in  the  process  of  calling  up  the  spirits,  shout- 
ing '■'•Yizwa!  yizwa!  (Hear!  hear!)"  while  the 
seated  consulters  beat  the  ground  with  their 
canes,  and  having  listened  to  the  ambiguous 
oracles  delivered  to  the  ignorant  and  credulous, 
I  have  not  wondered  that  the  people  are 
deceived. 

These  crafty  izanusi  do  not  go  into  Hades 
for  nothing.  A  large  fat  ox  is  generally  the 
reward  and  often  a  goat  besides.  If  not  satis- 
fied, they  say  to  the  people,  "  Give  me  some- 
thing to  wipe  my  eyes  with,"  which  means  that 
they  are  unable  to  see  clearly,  that  they  have 
not  been  properly  compensated. 


Spint  Worship.  101 


It  is  a  matter  of  thanksgiving  that  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  South  Africa  the  "smelling  out" 
of  individuals  (pronouncing  them  witches)  is 
prohibited  and  a  great  amount  of  bloodshed 
prevented  through  the  intervention  of  British 
authority.  May  the  time  soon  come  when  it 
will  cease  entirely  ! 

It  is  said  that  Chaka,  who  ruled  in  Zululand 
at  the  beginning  of  this  century,  once  had  the 
courage  to  charge  all  the  izanusi  in  his  king- 
dom with  being  humbugs.  During  the  night 
he  sprinkled  blood  about  the  royal  kraal  and 
called  the  doctors  to  investigate  the  cause. 
One  smelt  out  this  person,  another  that.  Only 
one  guessed  rightly,  saying,  "  I  smell  out  the 
heavens "  (meaning  the  king).  His  life  was 
spared  ;  all  the  rest  were  killed. 

Protracted  and  patient  instruction  will  be 
needed  ere  native  Christians  are  wholly  eman- 
cipated from  the  idea  that  the  ancestral  spirits 
are  able  to  avert  evil  and  that  the  izanusi  have 
dealings  with  them.  I  luid  occasion  to  disci- 
pline two  church  members  of  several  years' 
standing  for  uniting  secretly  with  their  heathen 
friends  in  sacrificing  an  ox  to  the  spirit  of  their 
father;  the  "doctor"  having  told  them  they 
would  die  if  they  refused.  Remove  the  dee[)- 
seated  superstitious  regard  Zulus  have  for  their 
departed  relatives  and  their  faith  in  their 
doctors  of  divination,  and  the  keystone  in  the 
arch  of  their  religion  will  be  gone. 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  is  evident  that 
"  spirit  doctors "  discharge  a   sacerdotal   func- 


102  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

tion,  offering  up  sacrifices  for  which  their  mer- 
cenary spirit  leads  them  to  demand  good  pay. 
In  propitiatory  sacrifices  they  usually  have  a 
part.  It  is  exceedingly  touching  to  observe 
the  reverential  attitude  and  listen  to  the  appar- 
ently sincere  and  fervent  supplications  of  the 
aged  men  when  engaged  in  their  sacrifices. 
S.  O.  Samuelson,  Esq.,  thus  speaks  of  them :  — 
"  Beautiful  and  seemingly  heartfelt  prayers 
are  offered  up  to  the  spirits  wlien  the  animal 
is  killed,  thanking  them  for  all  the  mercies, 
attention,  protection,  and  care  of  the  past,  and 
invoking  a  continuance  of  the  same.  The 
weakness,  helplessness,  and  worthlessness  of 
humanity  are  acknowledged  and  an  entire 
dependence  on  the  spirits  and  their  good  offices 
confessed.  The  prayer  offered  up  occupies 
some  time,  both  before  and  after  the  animal  is 
killed,  and  is  very  interesting  to  those  who 
understand  the  native  language.  .  .  .  When 
the  headman  of  a  kraal  performs  the  sacrifi- 
cial rite  he  first  selects  an  animal,  and  then, 
with  the  male  members  of  the  kraal,  goes  into 
the  cattle  enclosure  into  whicli  tlie  victim  for 
sacrifice  has  been  previously  brought.  He 
then  engages  in  a  long  earnest  prayer  to  the 
spirits,  holding  the  assegai  specially  reserved 
for  such  occasions  in  his  hand.  The  prayer 
sets  forth  the  weakness,  dependence,  and  pov- 
erty of  the  human  race,  and  supplicates  guid- 
ance, strength,  health,  plenty,  and  security 
from  those  who  were  in  their  time  human  and 
acquainted  with  grief,  but  now  are  in  a  better 


Spirit  Worship.  103 

position  and  who  alone  can  give  necessary- 
relief.  After  the  prayer  he  hands  the  assegai 
to  one  of  his  attendants  to  stab  the  ox.  A 
short  prayer  follows,  asking  the  spirits  to 
accept  favorably  the  sacrifice.  The  blood  flow- 
ing from  the  wound  is  received  into  vessels 
ready  for  the  purpose,  each  hut  bringing  its 
own  special  vessel,  while  there  is  one  for  the 
whole  kraal.  It  is  used  the  next  day  for  a 
special  dish,  of  which  the  natives  are  very  fond, 
called  ububende,  consisting  of  small  portions  of 
meat,  fat,  and  entrails  minced  up  and  boiled  in 
the  blood.  A  portion  of  the  caul  is  set  fire  to 
and  taken  from  hut  to  hut  in  a  burning  state 
as  a  pleasant  incense  to  the  spirits,  the  head- 
man at  the  same  time  uttering  a  prayer  for 
peace  and  prosperity  to  the  inmates.  The  gall 
bladder  is  cut  out  and  its  contents  sprinkled  on 
the  children  and  on  himself,  with  a  prayer  to 
the  spirits  that  the  young  may  enjoy  health 
and  prosperity  and  that  he  may  live  to  witness 
it.  The  meat  is  roasted  or  boiled  within  the 
cattle  fold  by  the  men.  No  females  are  allowed 
to  go  within  the  enclosure,  but  meat  is  sent  to 
them  where  they  are  sitting  near  their  huts." 


CHAPTER   XII. 

SUPERSTITIONS    OF   THE   ZULUS. 

ZULU  superstitions  are  legion.  For  a  tur- 
key buzzard  to  light  on  a  hut,  for  a  cony 
to  run  into  a  kraal,  for  a  toad  to  jump  into  a 
fireplace,  is  ominous  of  evil.  The  bleating  of  a 
sheep  while  being  slaughtered  is  a  bad  omen. 
If  a  cow  push  off  with  her  horns  the  lid  of  a 
dish  that  holds  Indian  corn  or  other  grain,  it  is 
a  sign  that  some  calamity  will  happen. 

No  one  dares  to  drink  sour  milk  during  a 
thunderstorm,  and  no  woman  ventures  to  work 
in  the  garden  the  day  after  a  hailstorm.  A 
fowl  must  never  be  carried  through  a  field 
when  the  corn  is  tasseling  out,  lest  the  crop  be 
blighted.  Should  a  garden  be  in  an  unhealthy 
state,  fish  skin,  the  Salter  the  better,  is  burned 
and  the  ashes  scattered  over  the  ground  to 
cure  diseases  which  are  supposed  to  hinder 
vegetation. 

Various  ceremonies  arc  performed  on  infants, 
and  fathers  are  not  allowed  to  see  their  own 
babies  until  their  little  heads  have  been  smoked 
and  they  have  undergone  other  absurd  pro- 
cesses.  If  twins  are  born,  one  is  immediately 
destroyed  lest  the  father  die.  They  justify 
this  habit,  saying  it  is  better  for  the  mother  and 
for  the  remaining  child  ;  but  this  superstition 

104 


Superstitions  of  the  Zulus.  10." 

is  the  true  reason.  The  Zulus  have  great  faith 
in  certain  medicines  and  often  wear  charms  or 
fetiches  to  ward  off  diseases  and  protect  them 
from  enemies.  One  is  often  seen  biting  off  a 
bit  of  root  from  a  piece  suspended  about  his 
neck  to  soften  the  heart  of  a  person  with 
whom  he  wishes  to  make  a  bargain.  Before 
going  into  battle  Zulu  warriors  drink  certain 
medicines  to  make  their  enemies  faint-hearted. 
To  make  dogs  serviceable  in  hunting  they  arc 
fed  on  the  beaks  and  claws  of  birds.  To  ren- 
der a  man  brave  and  successful  on  a  hunting 
excursion  he  must  have  leopard's  whiskers 
pounded  fine  mixed  with  his  food. 

The  medicine  men  carry  about  the  where- 
withal to  make  people  love  or  hate,  as  suits 
their  purpose.  If  a  young  man  finds  his  love 
for  a  certain  damsel  unreturned,  or  suspects 
that  she  prefers  another,  the  doctor  can  give  a 
medicine  to  make  her  hate  the  latter  and  love 
the  former. 

A  heathen  mother  once  administered  a  pow- 
erful emetic  to  her  son,  who  professed  Christi- 
anity, to  make  him  cast  up  his  new  religion. 

One  cold  rainy  day  I  was  called  to  examine 
the  corpse  of  a  native  which  had  been  found 
several  miles  from  my  home.  The  men  who 
discovered  it  feared  they  might  be  accused  of 
murder  unless  some  white  man  saw  the  bod3^ 
Mounting  my  horse,  I  rode  to  the  spot  and 
finding  no  marks  of  violence  I  had  a  grave 
dug,  and  called  upon  some  of  the  twenty  or 
jnore  men  present  to  deposit  the  de9,d  man  in 


106  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

his  last  resting  place.  Not  one  of  them  would 
budge  an  inch.  I  took  a  small  bag  of  medi- 
cines or  charms  from  the  pocket  of  his  vest 
(his  only  article  of  clothing)  and  poured  them 
out  on  my  hand.  The  greatest  consternation 
was  depicted  on  the  faces  of  the  natives.  They 
looked  on  me  very  much,  I  imagine,  as  did  the 
barbarous  Melitans  upon  Paul  when  he  shook 
off  the  "  venomous  beast "  from  his  hand.  I 
had  to  pull  and  roll  the  dead  body  into  the 
grave  with  my  own  hands  and  offer  a  prayci', 
before  they  would  even  cover  it  with  earth. 
After  the  ride  and  exposure  in  the  rain  I  had  a 
violent  chill  and  I  dosed  myself  vigorously, 
remarking  to  my  wife  that  it  would  never  do 
for  me  to  be  sick  or  die  just  then,  as  the 
natives  would  believe  it  to  be  the  effect  of  the 
dead  man's  medicines.  I  was  told  afterwards 
that  no  reward,  however  great,  would  have 
induced  one  of  them  to  touch  that  body. 

One  of  the  first  missionaries  to  the  Zulus 
was  accustomed  to  take  his  overcoat  to  the 
place  of  religious  service  whenever  there  was 
a  probability  of  rain.  A  drought  having  come, 
he  was  iuiportuned  by  no  means  to  leave 
behind  his  "  rain-producing  garment." 

In  speaking  to  children  and  showing  Zulu 
curios,  I  am  sometimes  asked  about  idols  wor- 
shiped by  the  natives.  The  Zulus  are  not 
image-worshipers.  If  a  Zulu  hunter  fails  to  kill 
for  several  shots,  he  will  take  his  gun  to  a  spirit 
doctor,  who  after  examination  usually  informs 
him  that  his  deceased  grandfather  is  angry  with 


Superstitions  of  the  Zulus.  107 

him.  An  ox  must  be  slaughtered  before  the 
hunting  can  go  on  ;  the  gall  of  the  animal  is 
scattered  over  the  bodies  of  those  engaged  in 
the  sacrifice  and  a  part  of  the  beef  is  set 
aside  for  the  use  of  the  spirit.  The  messenger 
of  the  spirits  it  is  said  will  come  and  take  it ; 
but  it  is  invariably  swallowed  by  the  natives. 

The  most  fearful  superstitions  are  thns(3 
connected  with  witchcraft.  A  Zulu's  imagina- 
tion peoples  all  Southern  Africa  with  wizards, 
persons  of  the  most  dangerous  character  who 
are  supposed  to  wander  about  and  deposit 
poison  in  the  path  or  before  the  kraals  of 
those  who  are  victimized.  I  once  poisoned 
a  hyena  which  had  been  stealing  my  fowls 
and  buried  the  carcass.  Two  men  came  to 
me  in  great  excitement,  begging  me  to  exhume 
the  hyena  and  let  the  vultures  consume  it,  lest 
wizards  should  take  the  liver  and  poison  the 
whole  country.  I  offered  them  spades  to  dig 
it  up  themselves,  but  this  they  were  unwilling 
to  do. 

Zulus  are  great  believers  in  dreams.  Under 
their  guidance  they  perform  the  most  absurd 
ceremonies  and  do  the  strangest  things.  If 
one  who  is  on  a  hunting  excursion,  far  from 
home,  should  happen  to  dream  that  a  relative 
has  died,  he  must  abandon  the  hunt  at  once  and 
go  and  see  if  it  be  true.  If  not,  he  considers 
it  necessary  to  consult  a  spirit  doctor,  who 
must  be  paid  for  his  services.  Should  the 
information  he  receives  from  the  spirit  world 
through  the    doctor   confirm   his    dream,  then 


108  Porty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

an  ox  must  be  slaughtered  as  a  sacrificial 
offering. 

A  man  dreams  that  an  attempt  has  been 
made  to  take  his  life  by  one  wliom  he  always 
regarded  as  his  true  friejid.  On  awaking  he 
says:  "This  is  strange;  a  man  who  never 
stoops  to  meanness  wishes  to  destroy  me.  I 
cannot  understand  it,  but  it  must  be  true,  for 
'  dreams  never  lie.'  "  Although  the  suspected 
friend  protests  his  innocence,  he  immediately 
cuts  his  acquaintance. 

If  one  dreams  of  being  attacked  by  a  buffalo, 
or  some  other  wild  animal,  the  dreamer  in- 
quires, "What  have  I  done  that  the  spirits 
send  a  wild  beast  to  kill  me?" 

If  in  time  of  war  the  dream  is  of  an  enemy 
coming  to  murder  men,  women,  and  children, 
so  terrified  are  the  people  that  the  kraal  must 
be  removed  at  once  to  a  place  of  safety. 

The  next  dream  may  be  of  a  serpent  coming 
and  saying,  "  Do  you  know  that  when  you 
killed  a  serpent  the  other  day  you  knocked 
in  the  head  of  your  grandfather  who  came  to 
visit  you?"  A  fat  ox  must  be  slaughtered 
to  appease  the  offended  spirit. 

Curious  to  relate,  a  Zulu's  dream  of  a 
wedding  or  dance  is  ominous  of  evil,  whereas 
one  of  a  sick  or  dead  person  is  a  good  sign. 

It  will  be  long,  I  fear,  before  even  Christian 
Zulus  are  wholly  emancipated  from  the  power 
of  superstitious  dreams.  Listen  to  one  whose 
reason  and  piety  were  struggling  against  the 
absurd  notions  of  his  people :  — 


Superstitions  of  the  Zulus.  109 

"  Of  what  use  will  it  be  if  when  I  pray  I  am 
made  to  arise  from  my  knees  by  beasts  which 
devour  me,  when  forsooth  they  are  not  real  ? 
for  I  cannot  get  that  for  which  I  awake  early 
to  pray  unto  the  Lord,  being  prevented  by  the 
beasts  which  I  see.  When  I  was  kneeling, 
there  came  a  snake  to  do  as  on  other  days. 
I  said.  No  !  To-day  let  me  feel  by  my  body 
that  it  has  already  seized  me.  Then  there 
came  a  man  running  to  stab  me  at  once.  I 
conquered  him.  I  went  home,  having  ascended 
a  rock  of  safety,  saying,  Oh,  forsooth,  I  have 
been  hindered  by  fantasies  !  "  ^ 

Lightning  fills  the  native  mind  with  great 
fear.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  see  on  the  huts 
half  a  dozen  or  more  sticks  that  have  been 
medicated  by  "  lightning  doctors "  that  no 
harm  may  occur.  These  "doctors"  are  sup- 
posed to  possess  the  power  of  sending  the  elec- 
tric current  wherever  they  choose.  Hence  the 
people  stand  in  awe  of  them.  The  Zulus  be- 
lieve in  a  "bird  of  heaven,"  which  they  say 
comes  down  during  a  thunderstorm  and  is 
found  in  localities  which  have  been  struck  by 
lightning.  The  "  doctors "  watch  for  the  ap- 
pearance of  this  bird,  kill  it,  and  use  its  fat 
to  anoint  the  lightning-sticks  on  the  huts  and 
enable  them  to  act  on  the  heavens  without 
harm  to   themselves. 

Earthquakes  are  unspeakably  awful  phenom- 
ena to  the  Zulus.  One  occurred  in  Natal,  in 
1850,  shortly  after  I  went  to  my  station.     The 

1  Callaway's  Dreams  of  the  Zulus. 


110  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

men,  savants  of  the  tribe,  assembled  from  far 
and  near  to  discuss  the  cause.  Some  said  it 
was  the  English  firing  off  big  cannon,  fifty  miles 
away.  Others,  and  tiie  larger  part,  attributed 
it  to  the  rolling  over  in  his  grave  of  Chaka,  an 
old  Zulu  king.  As  they  could  not  agree,  the 
decision  was  left  to  the  missionary.  One  morn- 
ing I  perceived  in  front  of  my  door  twenty 
or  more  men,  delegates  sent  to  inquire  about 
the  earthquake.  I  gave  them  a  brief  geological 
lecture  and  dismissed  them,  but  I  never  heard 
whether  they  were  satisfied. 

When  an  army  is  about  to  invade  the  enemy's 
country  a  peculiar  custom  is  observed  to  ascer- 
tain whether  victory  or  defeat  will  follow.  It 
is  that  of  churning  medicines.  Two  kinds  are 
chosen,  one  representing  their  king,  the  other 
the  enem3^  These  medicines  are  placed  in 
separate  dishes,  and  if  the  one  representing  the 
enemy  froths  up  suddenly,  whilst  that  repre- 
senting the  king  does  not,  they  regard  it  as  a 
sign  that  the  enemy  will  prove  too  strong  for 
them  and  the  army  is  not  allowed  to  go  out  to 
battle. 

Sneezing  is  regarded  by  the  Zulus  as  an 
indication  of  good  health,  and  immediately 
after  this  operation  they  ejaculate  thanks  to 
the  spirits  of  their  ancestors.  The  exclama- 
tion often  is :  "  Spirits  of  our  people,  grant 
me  long  life ! "  The  time  spent  in  sneezing 
is  considered  lucky,  for  then  the  spirits  are 
more  benevolent  than  at  other  times.  Zulu 
diviners,  it   is   said,  are    apt  to    sneeze  freely 


Superstitions  of  the  Zulus.  Ill 

when  in  the  process  of  divination  and  it  is 
considered  a  sign  that  the  spirits  are  present. 

When  cattle  stray  away  from  a  Zulu  kraal 
and  are  lost,  a  hawk  called  isipumungummigati, 
about  the  size  of  a  crow,  is  consulted.  If  it 
points  its  head  in  a  certain  direction,  searchers 
are  immediately  sent  towards  that  point  secure 
in  the  belief  that  they  will  find  the  lost  animals. 

S.  C.  Samuelson,  Esq.,  has  recorded  a  large 
number  of  Zulu  superstitions,  among  which 
are  the  following :  — 

"  Till  of  late,  and  perhaps  now  in  some 
localities,  it  has  been  regarded  as  sorcery  to 
carry  manure  into  a  garden,  for  if  he  who  does 
it  should  have  a  larger  crop  than  his  neighbors 
suspicions  might  arise  that  would  lead  to  his 
death.  Thus  they  are  prevented  from  fertiliz- 
ing the  soil,  and  the  poor  women  are  constantly 
obliged  to  find  new  places  for  planting. 

"  There  are  certain  mountains  wliich  are 
objects  of  special  regard,  at  which  natives  dare 
not  point  with  the  extended  finger,  but  with 
the  fist  or  thumb,  lest  thunder  and  hail  storms 
result. 

"  No  one  dares  to  kill  a  turkey  buzzard,  lest 
the  arm  with  which  it  was  done  be  paralyzed. 

"  A  person  afflicted  with  mumps  must  go  to 
an  ant-bear's  hole  and  shout,  '■JJzagiga!  uzagiya! 
(The  mumps!  the  mumps!).'  If  he  returns 
home  without  looking  back,  the  disease  will 
leave  him. 

"If  an  otter  should  be  killed  in  the  day- 
time, it  must  not  be  removed  until  a  certain 


112  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

amount  of  maiuvuvering  is  accomplished  for 
fear  of  a  deluge,  the  otter  being  a  water 
animal. 

"  Women,  when  sowing  grain,  carry  with 
them  the  leaves  and  roots  of  the  ialdwa  (yellow 
lily),  as  it  is  supposed  to  improve  the  nutritive 
qualities  of  the  grain  to  be  produced. 

"  When  a  girl  reaches  a  marriageable  age,  a 
cow  must  be  slaughtered  for  her.  If  not,  she 
will  be  a  barren  wife. 

"  The  hair  and  skin  of  a  hyena,  burned,  is  a 
powerful  remedy  for  kidney  diseases  among 
cattle. 

"  The  crossing  of  a  threshold  by  a  peculiar 
serpent  with  a  horny  spine  portends  a  serious 
calamity.  This  serpent  is  supposed  to  recover, 
although  its  back  is  broken  many  times.  The 
spirits  restore  it.  Some  hold  that  the  inldon- 
hlo,  a  species  of  the  imamba  family,  a  very 
dangerous  serpent,  cannot  possibly  be  killed. 

"  According  to  Zulu  belief,  any  object,  a  stick 
or  chip  or  certain  spots  in  tlie  highway,  may  be 
so  doctored  as  to  cause  death  when  touched 
by  an  individual. 

"  A  fabulous  animal  named  utokoto  is  said 
to  exist,  which  has  a  special  fondness  for  the 
flesh  of  human  females. 

"Monkeys'  tails,  according  to  Zulu  belief, 
originated  as  follows: — A  party  of  women 
who  were  digging  in  a  garden  gave  chase  to 
a  troop  of  those  animals  and  beat  them  on 
their  backs  with  their  heavy  hoes.  Imme- 
diately the  long  tails  appeared. 


Superstitions  of  the  Zulus.  113 

"A  class  of  spirits  called  imikovu  is  an  object 
of  great  terror.  They  are  said  to  be  speechless 
and  wandering  about  in  forests.  Death  is  the 
result  of  contact  with  them. 

"  Natives  believe  that  any  one  charged  with 
an  offense  has  the  power,  by  eating  a  certain 
root,  of  causing  the  assembly  of  men  trying 
him  to  wander  in  their  minds  so  that  they 
cannot  arrive  at  a  decision." 

A  kind  of  divination  called  umliyigo  is  met 
with  among  the  Zulus.  "  A  native  doctor 
may  pour  water  into  a  calabash  full  of  small 
holes,  and  by  this  means,  observing  the  direc- 
tion in  which  it  spouts,  he  can  divine  the 
direction  from  whence  the  disease  has  come 
upon  his  patient.  Kings  have  made  use  of 
umlingo  to  divine  the  probability  of  success 
in  their  undertakings.  This  was  done  in 
several  ways.  One  was  to  sprinkle  hot  water 
on  some  of  the  soldiers  about  to  commence 
their  march,  and  if  they  were  not  scalded  so 
that  blisters  were  formed  then  the  enemy 
would  succeed." 

Umahope  is  a  climbing  plant  with  red  roots, 
bits  of  which  are  worn  about  the  necks 
by  natives  for  charms.  The  root  is  chewed 
by  Zulus  for  a  few  minutes  when  going  to 
battle  and  then  they  spit  it  out  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  enemy.  It  is  believed  that  the 
enemy  will  in  consequence  commit  some  fool- 
ish act  which  will  lead  to  destruction. 

To  quote  further  from  Mr.  Samuelson  :  — 

"  The  custom  of  '  rendering  the  army  invul- 


114  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

nerable,'  as  it  is  called,  preparatory  to  its  com- 
mencing hostile  operations  against  an  enemy, 
takes  place  in  the  chief  kraal  and  all  the 
men  have  to  attend.  The  sacrificial  beast  is 
selected  by  tlie  doctor  in  charge  of  the  pro- 
ceedings. The  animal  is  at  once  cauglit  and 
thrown  down  by  force.  The  skin  is  removed 
from  one  shoulder,  and  it  is  cut  out  before 
the  animal  is  killed.  The  flesh  of  the  shoulder 
is  cut  into  long  strips,  roasted  on  the  coals  of 
a  fire  prepared  for  the  purpose,  into  which 
certain  kinds  of  bitter  herbs  and  roots  are 
thrown  by  the  doctor.  The  flesh  is  roasted 
and  made  to  pass  through  the  smoke  arising 
from  this  fire.  The  meat  is  then  ready  to  be 
eaten  ;  each  man  bites  off  a  mouthful  of  a  strip 
and  passes  it  on  to  the  next  man.  When  the 
meat  is  consumed,  the  doctor  sprinkles  the 
men  with  water  into  which  has  l)een  put  some 
pulverized  charcoal  of  the  flesh  and  medicines 
I  have  named.  All  this  while  the  poor  victim 
has  been  left  to  writhe  in  agony.  It  is  now 
killed  and  the  flesh  consumed.  It  is  publicly 
eaten  by  all  the  men  present.  All  the  bones 
are  burned.  No  females  may  have  any  of  the 
flesh  of  an  animal  killed  for  this  ceremony. 

"  The  medicine  used  by  the  natives  in  purifi- 
cation after  killing  any  one  is  called  icima 
mlilo  (fire-quencher)  and  it  is  composed  of 
a  variety  of  ingredients  answering  very  much 
to  this  prescription  :  — 

Tooth  of  fox  and  weasel's  bone, 
Eye  of  cat  and  skull  of  cat, 


Superstitions  of  the  Zulus.  115 

And  the  hooked  wing  of  bat; 
Mandrake  root  and  murderer's  gore, 
Henbane,  hemlock,  hellebore, 
Lithium,  storax,  bdellium,  borax, 
Ink  of  cuttlefish  and  feather 
Of  screech  owl  smoke  together. 

"A  bath  is  also  necessary  after  the  medicine 
is  taken.  A  native  must  always  go  through 
the  process  of  purification  after  killing  any 
one,  and  in  case  of  homicide  or  murder  it 
would  be  a  most  important  bit  of  evidence 
against  any  one  could  it  be  proved  that  he 
had  been  using  the  icima  mlilo  and  had  taken 
a  bath  soon  after  such  a  deed  was  committed. 

"There  is  a  class  of  people,  known  by  the 
natives  as  izinswelaboi/a,  who  are  believed 
to  haunt  isolated  and  unoccupied  parts  of  the 
country  where  thick  mists  and  fogs  are  prev- 
alent. They  are  said  to  be  ahatakati  (mis- 
creants and  evil  doers  of  the  worst  class)  who 
waylay  unwary  travelers  and  murder  them  for 
the  sake  of  obtaining  certain  portions  of  their 
bodies,  such  as  the  heart,  which  are  made  use 
of  for  medicines  and  charms.  It  is  believed 
that  many  native  doctors  are  in  league  with 
these  men  and  give  them  a  good  price  for 
such  portions  of  the  human  body  as  they  con- 
sider most  valuable.  Natives  have  a  great 
dread  of  the  izinswelaboya,  and  they  dare 
not  travel  through  districts  said  to  be  infested 
by  them  after  dark  or  alone.  There  is  good 
reason,  I  am  afraid,  for  such  a  fear,  because 
natives   have   often   disappeared    mysteriously 


116  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus, 

and  have  never  been  heard  of  again,  whilst 
some  have  been  found  murdered  and  mutilated 
in  a  most  cruel  manner.  Persons  murdered 
by  the  izinswelaboya  are  almost  invariably 
found  with  the  tip  of  the  tongue,  the  eyelids, 
portions  of  the  ears,  and  the  points  of  the 
fingers  and  toes  cut  off,  in  addition  to  other 
mutilations.  The  tip  of  the  tongue  is  cut  off 
that  no  tongue  can  give  information  of  the 
deed,  the  eyelids  that  none  may  see  it,  the 
ears  that  none  may  hear  it." 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

POLYGAMY   AJSTD   OTHER   EVIL   PRACTICES. 

POLYGAMY  presents  a  gigantic  obstacle 
to  the  elevation  of  the  Zulus.  It  has 
been  well  called  their  "  idol  and  their  curse." 
The  chattelizing  of  women  is  its  twin  sister. 
All  that  a  Zulu  man  hath  will  he  give  for 
wives,  and  the  number  he  possesses  is  limited 
only  by  the  number  of  cows  he  has  with  which 
to  buy  them.  Wives  and  cattle  are  his  prop- 
erty and  a  Zulu  is  not  considered  of  much 
importance  unless  enriched  with  a  large  num- 
ber of  the  former.  "  A  man's  wives  make  the 
house  great  "  is  a  common  Zulu  saying.  With 
only  one  wife  a  man  is  considered  poor.  "  If  I 
have  but  one  wife,  who  will  cook  for  me  when 
she  is  ill?"  is  a  question  often  asked  by  the 
wife-loving  Zulu  wlien  arguing  in  support  of 
his  darling  custom.  In  Natal  for  some  years 
the  market  price  for  a  strong,  healthy  girl  of 
fifteen  years  ranged  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
cows,  but  of  late  ten  have  been  considered  the 
standard  price.  As  the  colonial  law  now 
stands,  no  Zulu  father  can  collect  in  court  of 
justice  more  than  that  number  for  his  daugh- 
ter. Hereditary  chiefs  and  constables,  how- 
ever, are  exceptions.  They  can  claim  as  many 
as  fifteen  or  even  thirty  cattle.     I  regret  to  say 

117 


118  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

this  law  is  sanctioned  by  the  imperial  govern- 
ment of  Great  Britain.  Since  it  went  into 
operation  young  men  find  it  much  easier  tlian 
formerly  to  purchase  partners  for  life.  Avari- 
cious old  men  with  a  plurality  of  wives  and 
numerous  children  cannot  now  monopolize  the 
wife  market,  continually  increasing  their  own 
stock  and  raising  the  price  of  girls.  Bartering 
women  for  cattle,  as  now  practiced  in  Natal 
and  other  parts  of  South  Africa,  is  not  an 
ancestral  custom  of  the  Zulus.  Fifty  years 
ago  the  bridegroom  presented  the  bride's  father 
with  three  or  four  cows  to  ratify  the  marriage 
contract,  and  he  received  from  the  bride's  rela- 
tives an  equivalent  in  cattle  or  something  else. 
Now  in  Natal  the  whole  transaction  previous 
to  the  celebration  of  the  nuptials  is  mercenary. 
The  natives  universally  admit  that  under 
British  rule  it  has  become  a  bona  fide  sale. 
Fathers  call  their  daughters  their  "  bank,"  their 
"  stock  in  trade."  The  husband  says  substan- 
tially, as  did  Petruchio,  — 

"  I  will  be  master  of  what  is  my  own. 
She  is  my  goods,  my  chattel;  she  is  my  house, 
My  household  stuff,  my  field,  my  barn, 
My  horse,  my  ox,  my  ass,  my  anything." 

None  but  those  who  have  witnessed  the 
working  of  polygamy  in  South  Africa  can  ade- 
quately conceive  the  degradation  and  miser}^  it 
involves  and  the  strong  counteracting  influence 
it  presents  to  philanthropic  labor.  Both  mind 
and  heart  are  brutalized  by  it.  Should  the 
wife  be  sick  and  unable  to  perform  her  daily 


Polygamy  and  other  Evil  Practices.      119 

— ^  - _ 

task  she  is  liable  to  hear  from  her  husband  the 
question :  "  Why  do  you  not  work  and  get 
back  the  cattle  I  have  paid  for  you?"  If 
childless,  she  can  be  returned  to  her  home  as 
an  "  unprofitable  thing."  If  not  fully  paid  for, 
her  children  can  be  taken  as  a  mortgage  till 
the  number  of  cattle  agreed  upon  is  received. 
The  Zulus  are  so  attached  to  this  abominable 
custom  that  nothing  would  so  arouse  their 
opposition  to  English  authority  as  legislation 
which  would  aim  at  its  extirpation.  Not  only 
is  it  idolized  by  the  men,  but,  strange  though  it 
may  appear,  the  poor  degraded  women  who  are 
the  chief  sufferers  argue  in  favor  of  it.  Rarely 
do  wives  object  to  a  husband's  adding  to  the 
number  of  helpmeets,  for  they  say,  "Now  are 
our  burdens  lightened."  They  seemingly  ig- 
nore the  fact  that  jealousies,  bickerings,  and 
quarrels  are  sure  to  arise  among  a  plurality  of 
uncongenial  spirits  in  a  Zulu  harem. 

In  intellect  the  women  are  inferior  to  the 
men,  but  this  is  doubtless  attributable  to  the 
drudgery  imposed  upon  them.  To  feelings  of 
self-respect  and  sensitiveness  under  wrongs, 
characteristic  of  their  more  highly-favored  sis- 
ters in  Christian  lands,  they  are  strangers.  As 
a  rule  they  patiently  submit  to  their  lot,  unless 
tortured  beyond  endurance  by  despotic  hus- 
bands ;  but  their  life  at  the  best  is  a  hard 
one.  The  Zulu  heathen  wife  sits  in  a  hut  of 
haystack  architecture  of  one  room  —  her  parlor, 
kitchen,  and  bedroom  —  without  window,  and 
the  door  to  which  is  two  feet  high  ;  a  portion 


120  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

of  this  space  is  fenced  off  for  goats  and  calves. 
She  prepares  her  husband's  meal  of  boiled  corn, 
ground  and  mixed  with  sour  milk.  He  eats 
alone,  giving  what  is  left  to  the  hungry  children, 
or  more  hungry  dogs.  She  must  provide  for 
herself.  Fear  and  distrust  reign  there.  She 
brings  to  him  beer  brewed  from  musty  Indian 
corn,  but  must  sip  iirst  to  show  that  there  is  "  no 
death  in  the  pot ; "  while  her  lord  and  master 
lounges,  snuffs;  smokes,  hunts,  guzzles  beer,  or 
gads  from  kraal  to  kraal,  discussing  a  recent  case 
of  witchcraft,  or  gorges  himself  with  beef  like 
a  boa  constrictor,  she,  with  a  child  on  her  back 
and  a  heavy  hoe  on  her  shoulders,  goes  to  the 
fields,  digs  the  hard  soil  all  day  long  or  pulls 
the  rank  weeds  from  the  garden,  returning 
home  at  night  with  a  bundle  of  firewood  on 
her  head.  Not  only  must  she  serve  as  cart,  ox, 
and  plow,  but  she  is  expected  to  provide  for 
her  aged  parents.  Other  wives  come  to  the 
kraal  and  the  strife  that  ensues  makes  her  con- 
dition worse.  If  of  a  mild  disposition,  she  tries 
to  make  the  best  of  her  lot,  resigning  herself 
meekly  to  her  daily  task.  If  not,  she  is  sure 
to  "kick  against  the  pricks,"  harassing  herself 
to  no  purpose.  The  eyes  of  the  vigilant 
mother-in-law  are  upon  her  and  every  omission 
of  duty  is  reported  to  her  husband.  No  high 
and  ennobling  aspirations  have  a  place  in  her 
soul.  Her  environment  is  one  of  sensuality 
and  debasement.  Death  comes  to  her  early 
and  it  is  emphatically  "  a  leap  into  the  dark." 
Oh,  the  miseries  of  heathen  Zulu  women  I 


Polygamy  and  other  Evil  Practices.      12l 

The  question  is  sometimes  addressed  to  mis- 
sionaries from  South  Africa:  "Are  not  the 
natives,  as  you  find  them  in  their  free,  unre- 
strained, normal  condition,  happy?"  Yes,  at 
times  in  a  certain  sense  they  are  happy,  and 
occasionally  there  gleams  a  ray  of  joy  which,  if 
developed  by  Christianity,  would  gladden  their 
whole  social  life,  but  it  is  a  great  misnomer  to 
call  heathen  joys  happiness. 

Inordinate  beer  drinking  is  another  hindrance 
to  the  evangelization  of  the  Zulus.  Indian 
corn  and  a  species  of  grain  called  amabele, 
after  remaining  in  a  damp  place  till  they  begin 
to  sprout,  are  mashed,  boiled,  and  then  laid 
aside  in  a  large  dish.  Yeast,  obtained  from 
an  indigenous  plant  not  unlike  the  ice  plant, 
is  added.  When  sufficiently  fermented  it  is 
strained  through  conical  bags  made  of  rushes, 
into  closely-woven  baskets  or  earthen  dishes. 
The  cup  for  serving  and  drinking  is  made  of  a 
small  gourd.  The  Zulus  look  upon  their  beer 
as  food  as  well  as  drink,  and  often  live  entirely 
upon  it.  In  every  kraal  if  grain  is  abundant, 
beer  is  correspondingly  so.  From  time  imme- 
morial it  has  been  the  national  beverage. 
Where  a  number  of  kraals  are  located  near 
each  other,  beer  makers,  who  always  are  women, 
take  turns  in  providing  for  parties  of  forty  or 
fifty  men,  whose  time  is  chiefly  occupied  in 
going  about  searching  for  that  sine  qua  non  of 
comfort.  In  winter,  when  women  are  compar- 
atively free  from  hard  toil,  both  sexes  assemble 
almost  daily  for  drinking  and  dancing.    Though 


122  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

they  do  not  become  so  thorouglil}-  intoxicated 
as  those  who  freely  imbibe  rum,  gin,  and  brandy, 
the  beer  confuses  their  brains,  rendering  them 
foolish  and  often  quarrelsome.  A  fight  with 
knob-kerries,  resulting  in  broken  heads,  is  not 
an  uncommon  termination  of  a  beer  carousal. 
The  obscenities  and  evil  practices  which  accom- 
pany these  orgies  are  so  vile  and  harmful  that 
from  the  first  missionaries  have  felt  it  wise  to 
make  stringent  rules  for  church  members  in 
regard  to  attending  them.  It  was  a  severe 
trial  to  many  to  abandon  a  custom  to  which 
the  mass  of  their  countrymen  were  ardently 
attached,  but  the  majority  stood  firm,  agreeing 
with  their  instructors  that  spiritual  loss  would 
result  if  they  yielded  an  iota.  The  more  they 
were  taught  in  respect  to  perils  arising  from 
social  evils  the  stronger  was  their  desire  not 
only  to  eschew  beer  parties,  but  also  feasts  at 
which  meat  was  sacrificed  to  the  ancestral 
spirits.  As  a  rule  they  acknowledged  the  pro- 
priety of  the  rules  laid  down  by  the  mission 
churches,  making  it  a  disciplinable  offense  to 
attend  such  gatherings.  The  good  effects  of 
such  rules  appeared  in  the  impetus  given  to 
the  temperance  cause,  and  after  a  temperance 
reformation  in  many  cases  there  followed  reviv- 
als of  religion. 

Another  filthy  and  baneful  Zulu  practice  is 
smoking  wild  hemp.  This  weed,  easily  culti- 
vated in  South  Africa,  abounding  particularly 
in  old  deserted  kraal  spots,  has  a  narcotic 
and  even  intoxicating  effect,  similar  to  that  of 


Polygamy  and  other  Evil  Practices.      123 

Indian  hemp.  Sometimes  it  is  smoked  in  com- 
bination with  tobacco,  but  frequently  alone. 
The  pipe  used  is  peculiar,  being  the  horn  of 
an  ox  or  large  antelope  with  a  hole  about  six 
inches  from  the  largest  end.  Into  this  hole  a 
reed  is  inserted,  varying  from  five  to  eight 
inches  in  length,  and  where  the  junction  is 
formed  gum  is  used  to  render  it  water  tight. 
At  the  upper  end  of  the  reed  is  attached  a 
small  soapstone  bowl,  in  which  is  placed  the 
hemp  together  with  a  live  coal.  The  horn 
having  been  previously  filled  with  water  the 
smoker  places  his  mouth  at  the  top,  inhaling 
with  all  his  might  the  smoke  that  passes 
through  the  water.  Having  inhaled  as  much 
as  he  can,  he  closes  his  mouth,  and  with  a  small 
reed  squirts  the  saliva  upon  the  floor  of  the  hut, 
making  figures  of  cattle  and  various  objects. 
In  every  kraal  is  found  a  pipe  of  the  above 
description.  Women  do  not  smoke,  but  fre- 
quently small  boys  obtain  access  to  the  pipe. 

Gregarious  by  nature,  Zulus  love  to  assemble 
for  a  grand  smoke,  and  as  the  pipe  is  passed 
from  one  to  another  it  is  not  uncommon  for 
the  smoker  who  has  taken  too  much  to  fall  on 
the  floor  full  length  in  a  state  of  unconscious- 
ness. If  death  does  not  occur,  his  nervous 
system  is  fearfully  prostrated.  So  injurious  is 
this  practice  to  body  and  soul  that  the  most 
reliable  native  Christians  coincide  with  their 
spiritual  guides  in  the  propriety  of  a  church 
law  prohibiting  it  on  penalty  of  expulsion. 

As  obstacle  after  obstacle  to  the  elevation  of 


124  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

the  Zulus  rose  before  us,  mountain-like  year 
after  year,  and  we  saw  how  inadequate  were 
all  our  efforts  to  remove  them,  we  were  led  to 
look  away  from  ourselves,  distrusting  our  own 
wisdom  and  strength,  and  to  rely  on  him  who 
has  said:  "Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God. 
I  will  be  exalted  among  the  heathen."  We 
realized  in  some  degree  the  meaning  of  those 
words:  "Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by 
my  spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

LIGHT  began  to  dissipate  heathen  darkness. 
God  by  visible  tokens  strengthened  our 
faith.  That  was  a  joyful  day  in  our  missionary 
calendar  on  which  five  young  men  came  to  me 
and  said,  "  We  have  decided  to  become  Chris- 
tians. No  longer  will  we  worship  spirits  or  go 
to  beer  drinks.  We  will  not  become  polyga- 
mists,  but  will  live  according  to  God's  word." 

More  joyful  still  was  the  day  when  a  church 
was  organized,  and  we  sat  down  for  the  first 
time  with  a  little  band  of  Zulu  Christians  to 
commemorate  the  death  of  our  Lord.  A  nucle- 
us having  been  formed  of  those  on  the  Lord's 
side,  some  who  had  ridiculed  our  work  were 
heard  to  exclaim,  "  We  now  see  the  power  of 
the  great  King." 

I  was  cheered  concerning  Dambusa,  the  man 
mentioned  as  lacking  courage  to  follow  the 
dictates  of  his  conscience,  and  who  appeared 
to  be  irrecoverably  lost.  After  he  had  spent 
twelve  years  in  a  heathen  kraal,  in  quest  of  a 
happiness  which  he  could  not  find,  I  perceived 
in  his  countenance  a  restlessness  that  betok- 
ened a  mind  ill  at  ease.  Occasionally  he 
attended  church,  always  taking  a  back  seat, 
listening  attentively  to  the  preaching,  and  then 

125 


126  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

retiring  alone  with  a  downcast  eye.  It  was 
evident  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  working  in 
his  heart.  Visiting  hiin  frequently,  sometimes 
calling  him  out  of  a  noisy  assembly  of  beer 
drinkers  (and  he  never  disregarded  the  call), 
taking  him  to  some  secluded  place,  I  pressed 
upon  him  the  claims  of  the  gospel.  The  tears 
that  trickled  down  his  cheeks,  with  an  occa- 
sional assent  to  my  remarks,  indicated  deep 
emotion. 

Dambusa  had  been  the  subject  of  many 
fervent  prayers.  His  case  had  been  mentioned 
to  Christians  in  this  country,  and  their  peti- 
tions for  his  conversion  were  answered, 
though  some  who  offered  them  had  gone  to 
their  long  home.  One  Sabbath,  at  the  close  of 
services,  which  had  been  unusually  solemn,  I 
requested  him  to  accompany  me  to  a  cluster 
of  trees  near  my  house  and  spend  a  little 
time  in  religious  conversation.  He  readily  con- 
sented. In  reply  to  the  question,  "  How  much 
longer  are  you  going  to  resist  the  Spirit  of 
God,  and  fight  against  your  own  conscience?" 
to  my  inexpressible  joy,  he  said,  "  No  longer  ; 
the  controversy  is  ended."  The  penitent  man 
poured  out  his  soul  in  earnest  supplication  for 
divine  help. 

We  trembled  for  him,  knowing  well  the 
temptations  that  surrounded  him.  He  had  be- 
come entangled  in  the  meshes  of  polygamy,  and 
we  were  anxious  to  see  how  he  would  get  out 
of  them.  Two  or  three  days  after,  he  came  to 
us  with  a  face  radiant  with  joy,  saying,  "  The 


Encouragements.  127 

way   is  clear.     I   am   a    free    man."     How   he 
obtained   his   freedom,    he  explained.     To   liis 
second   married  wife,  for  whom  he    had    paid 
fifteen  head  of  cattle,  he  said,  "  I  have  decided 
to  become  a  Christian  and  live  on  the  mission 
station.     Will  you  follow  my  example  ?  "     Her 
indignant  reply  was,  "No,  not  for  the  world, 
and  you  are  a  great  fool ! "     "  What  will  you 
do  ?  "  asked  the  husband,  "  for  I  am  in  earnest.' 
"  Go  home  to  my  father's  kraal  and  live  there," 
answered  the  wife.     To  his  first  married  wife 
he  put  the  same  question,  and  her  reply  was, 
"  Yes,  I  will  go  with  you.     I  have  no  objection 
to  becoming  a  Christian."     In  a  few  weeks  a 
neatly-built  cottage  appeared  in   front  of   my 
dwelling,  into  which  Dambusa  moved  with  liis 
wife  and  five  children.     The  sacrifice  he  made 
in  abandoning  heathenism  may  be   seen  from 
the  fact  that  in  giving  up  the  second  wife  he 
also  gave  up  her  child,  and  the  fifteen  cows  he 
had  paid  for  her.     The  father  of  the  woman 
not  long  after  sold  her  again  for  ten  or  twelve 
cows,   so  that  she  was  property  in  his  hands, 
yielding  a  good  investinent. 

I  rejoice  to  say  in  regard  to  Dambusa  that 
he  gave  great  satisfaction  in  after  years,  prov- 
ing a  valuable  helper  in  the  work  of  the  Lord. 
His  regard  for  my  wife,  who  taught  him  to  read 
and  first  led  him  to  think  on  religious  subjects, 
and  whom  he  always  called  "  mother,"  was 
peculiarly  deep  and  tender.  He  was  her  right- 
hand  man  in  all  efforts  to  build  up  the  station. 
Another   man,  who   had  professed  to   be   a 


128  Forty  Yean  Among  the  Zulus. 

Christian,  but  had  drifted  into  polygamy,  came 
to  ine  saying  that  his  conscience  would  not 
allow  him  to  live  in  such  a  state.  After 
putting  away  his  second  wife  lie  was  received 
into  our  communion.  Both  he  and  Dambusa 
were  emphatic  in  their  testimony  tliat  it  is 
impossible  for  a  man  to  serve  God  properly 
who  has  more  than  one  wife. 

When  examining  candidates  for  cluirch  mem- 
bership the  motives  which  influenced  them  in 
coming  to  the  mission  station,  as  they  narrated 
them,  were  most  interesting.  I  said  to  a  young 
man  who  had  decided  to  make  a  profession  of 
his  faith :  ''  What  first  led  you  to  come  to 
us?"  He  surprised  me  by  the  inquiry:  "Did 
you  not  call  me,  and  have  I  not  come  ?  Have 
you  forgotten  that  a  long  time  ago  you  called 
one  morning  at  a  kraal,  and  asked  a  man  to 
send  his  son  to  procure  some  milk  for  you, 
and  that  while  he  was  milking  you  talked  with 
him  about  the  Saviour  ? "  I  replied,  "  I  re- 
member it  perfectly."  "  Well,"  said  he,  "  I  am 
that  boy.  You  called  me,  and  haven't  I 
come?"  Joy  and  gratitude  welled  up  in  my 
heart  as  I  realized  more  forcibly  than  ever  tlic 
fulfillment  of  the  promise,  "Cast  thy  bread 
upon  the  waters,"  and  I  welcomed  this  lamb 
into  the  fold  of  the  Good  Shepherd.  It  was 
not  long  before  heathen  fathers  brought  tlieir 
daughters  to  work  for  us,  desiring  payment 
for  them.  Mrs.  Tyler,  not  having  physical 
strength  to  visit  the  kraals,  devoted  her  time 
chiefly  to  the  training  of  Zulu  girls  who  were 


Encouragements.  129 

under  her  eye  from  day  to  day.  It  taxed  her 
patience  exceedingly,  but  with  God's  help  she 
was  successful.  Years  after,  when  those  whom 
she  trained  had  children  of  their  own,  they 
brought  them  to  their  white  "  mother,"  beg- 
ging her  to  give  them  the  same  training  they 
had  received,  and  saying,  "  We  want  no  pay. 
No  one  can  look  after  them  like  you."  Feeble 
health  prevented  her  from  complying  with 
many  of  those  requests,  but  their  appreciation 
of  what  had  been  done  for  them  was  a  source 
of  comfort  and  an  illustration  of  the  value 
of  missionary  training. 

Those  who  attempt  to  Christianize  barbari- 
ans discarding  evangelistic  methods,  commit 
a  sad  mistake.  It  is  strange  that  there  should 
be  any  doubt  on  this  subject  after  so  many 
futile  experiments.  Take  for  instance  the 
case  of  the  refined,  cultured,  and  philanthropic 
Bishop  Colenso,  who  began  mission  work  in 
Natal  apparently  under  the  most  favorable 
circumstances.  A  large  school  was  established, 
the  industrial  arts  taught,  and  various  branches 
of  learning,  but  after  a  short  time  many 
of  the  pupils,  though  regarded  as  Chris- 
tians, relapsed  into  heathenism.  One  of  them, 
William,  "  the  intelligent  Zulu,"  the  bishop's 
interpreter  and  principal  preacher,  laid  aside 
all  his  civilized  clothing,  married  four  wives, 
and  is  now  living  in  a  kraal  to  all  appearance 
a  besotted  heathen.  While  conversing  with 
him  a  few  months  before  I  left  South  Africa 
and   reminding   him   of   his   accountability   to 


130  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

God,  he  replied,  with  a  derisive  hiugh,  "  I  was 
taught  otherwise/' 

I  think  the  bishop  before  his  death  saw  and 
sadly  felt  that,  unless  truly  converted,  the 
natives  will  not  as  a  rule  remain  long  even 
in  a  state  of  civilization,  and  yet  how  often 
the  cry  is  echoed  and  reechoed,  "  Civilize  the 
Africans  first,  then  Christianize  them." 

Sir  Alvan  Southworth,  in  an  address  before 
the  American  Geographical  Society,  remarked : 
"I  have  roughly  computed  that  the  Christian 
world  has  spent  on  missionary  labor  in  Africa, 
since  the  era  of  telegraphs  and  railroads  began, 
an  amount  sufficient  to  have  built  a  railroad 
along  the  line  of  the  equator.  Let  us  be 
practical  with  the  negro,  for  in  his  aborigi- 
nal state  you  cannot  spiritualize  him."  He 
rejoiced  that  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt  was  think- 
ing of  sending  such  missionaries  as  the  rail- 
road and  steamboat  into  Central  Africa.  From 
the  above,  and  similiar  statements  meeting  us 
from  all  points,  what  are  we  to  infer?  Evi- 
dently that  many  who  have  devoted  their  lives 
to  the  elevation  of  Africa  are  regarded  as  on 
the  wrong  track,  for  their  modus  operandi  is  to 
preach  the  gospel  first.  But,  says  one,  "would 
you  preach  in  Africa  to  those  dull,  besotted 
people  as  you  would  in  a  civilized  land  ? "  I 
reply.  Yes,  substantially  The  son  of  Ham  is 
yet  to  be  found,  whether  Zulu  or  Hottentot, 
who  cannot  perceive  moral  distinctions — in 
other  woj'ds,  who  has  not  a  conscience,  and 
who  cannot  be  benefited  by  the  simple  narra- 


Encouragements.  131 

tion  of  the  "  old,  old  story."  If  he  thinks  — 
and  is  there  a  human  being  incapable  of  think- 
ing ?  —  his  thoughts  can  be  directed  to  his 
Maker,  his  duty,  and  his  destiny.  It  has  been 
said,  "  As  there  is  no  philosopher  too  wise, 
so  there  is  no  child  too  simple,  to  take  in  God 
through  Christ  as  the  moral  life-power  in  his 
nature."  We  may  apply  this  to  the  lowest, 
most  bestial  tribe  in  heathendom.  The  gos[)el 
meets  the  deepest  needs  of  their  souls.  God's 
spirit  works  through  that  gospel  and  those  who 
proclaim  it,  and  a  change  is  effected  without 
which  all  civilizing  agencies  are  vain.  Far  Ije 
it  from  me  to  ignore  the  importance  of  civiliza- 
tion. It  should  go  hand  in  hand  with  Chris- 
tianity. We  cannot  dispense  with  it  in  elevat- 
ing the  degraded,  but  the  place  to  which  it 
belongs  is  secondary  and  subordinate. 

In  Frazer's  Magazine  appears  a  story  in 
which  a  South  African  chief  is  reported  to 
have  visited  England,  and  to  have  become  to 
all  appearance  civilized,  if  not  Christianized. 
"  One  day,  while  discoursing  to  a  delighted 
audience  on  the  importance  of  diffusing  the 
blessings  of  civilization  and  the  gospel,  the 
paper  collar  he  wore  on  his  neck  irritated  him. 
Attempting  to  adjust  it  the  buttonhole  broke 
and  he  burst  out  with  the  exclamation  :  '  Away 
with  this  spurious  civilization  ! '  and  suiting  his 
action  to  his  words  he  tore  off  his  clothing, 
and  stood  before  his  audience  untrammeled  by 
civilized  adornments." 

I  have  no  means  of  testing  the  truth  of  this 


132  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

story,  but  it  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  cases 
which  have  come  under  my  observation.  The 
latest  and  most  striking  instance  of  the  kind 
I  will  mention :  — 

About  twenty-five  years  ago  a  Zulu  lad, 
named  Palma,  came  to  me  for  instruction.  He 
was  uncommonly  bright  and  inquisitive,  and 
I  had  strong  hopes  that  he  would  become  a 
useful  man.  Tempted  by  some  boys  who  ran 
away  from  their  homes,  he  went  to  Durban, 
the  seaport  town  of  Natal,  in  search  of  work. 
Soon  after  I  heard  that  he  had  gone  aboard  a 
ship  bound  for  London,  and  for  nearly  twenty 
years  nothing  was  heard  from  him.  One  day 
a  young  man  with  a  foreign  look,  dressed  in  a 
sailor's  suit,  with  a  tarpaulin  on  his  shoulder, 
came  to  my  door  and  inquired,  "  Is  the  clergy- 
man at  home  ? "  To  my  surprise  it  was  the 
veritable  Palma,  who  had  returned  from  his 
wanderings.  We  questioned  him  eagerly  as 
he  related  his  adventures.  Using  the  English 
language  (for  he  had  almost  forgotten  his  own) 
he  told  us  of  his  travels  in  Europe,  Asia,  and 
America.  "  How  could  you  afford  to  see  so 
much  of  the  world  ? "  He  replied  :  "  I  have 
hands,  and  am  not  afraid  to  work."  He  told 
us  of  a  visit  he  made  to  Dean  Stanley,  who 
asked  him,  "  Why  did  you  leave  Africa  ?  "  His 
reply  was,  "  To  better  my  condition,  sir." 

As  he  left  us  for  his  heathen  home,  I  cau- 
tioned him  against  the  temptations  which 
would  assail  him  in  his  father's  kraal,  and  he 
laughingly  replied,  "  No  danger."     Now  comes 


Evicouragements.  133 

the  sad  part  of  this  story.  A  few  weeks  after 
he  reached  home  he  doffed  all  his  civilized 
clothing,  and  put  on  the  skins  of  wild  animals 
like  his  heathen  relatives.  He  chose  a  wife 
from  among  the  heathen,  and  is  now  living 
apparently  with  no  desire  for  civilizing  influ- 
ences. His  heart  was  not  changed,  alas !  and 
he  is  a  heathen  still.  Does  not  this  story  teach 
us  that  civilization  alone  is  inadequate  to  ele- 
vate barbarians? 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE   SABBATH    AT   ESIDUMBINI. 

OOME  idea  of  the  change  eifected  by  the 
f^  gospel  may  be  formed  by  the  description 
of  a  Sabbath  at  Esidumbini,  a  few  years  after 
the  natives  began  to  emerge  from  barbarism. 
A  long  loud  ringing  of  one  of  Meneely's  sweet- 
toned  bells  announces  the  return  of  the  Sabbath. 
And  as  the  sun  lifts  its  head  above  the  table-land 
in  front  of  our  dwelling,  there  may  be  seen 
groups  of  Christian  Zulus  wending  their  way 
to  the  chapel  for  the  Sunday  morning  prayer 
meeting.  The  missionary's  heart  rejoices  on 
seeing  a  goodly  number  assembled,  for  the 
pulse  of  piety  on  the  station  is  determined  by 
the  interest  manifested  in  this  exercise.  Wip- 
ing off  the  heavy  dew  from  their  bare  feet 
they  quietly  seat  themselves,  and  soon  the 
voice  of  praise  is  heard.  A  sweet  sound  this 
from  mouths  which  a  short  time  agfo  were 
filled  with  obscene  and  senseless  heathen  songs. 
Now  it  is  a  pleasure  to  hear  in  good  time,  with 
modulated  voice,  and  a  considerable  degree 
of  taste,  such  tunes  as  Olivet,  Betliany,  Homer, 
Ariel,  etc.,  and  in  words  too  which  are  full 
of  the  sweet  truths  of  the  gospel. 

But  listen  I     One  of  their  number  is  leading 

131 


Tlie  Sabbath  at  Esidumbini.  135 

in  prayer.  That  low,  earnest  voice  is  unmis- 
takable. It  proceeds  from  a  young  man  who 
has  lately  given  up  all  for  Christ.  The  teacher 
steps  to  the  veranda  of  his  study  and  listens 
to  those  fervent  breathings.  As  he  confesses 
the  black  sins  of  years  and  thanks  God  for 
mercies,  especially  the  gift  of  a  Saviour  and 
his  precioas  gospel,  and  implores  blessings  on 
his  "  beloved  teacher,"  the  heart  of  the  latter 
bounds  with  gratitude  and  he  is  nerved  for 
the  coming  duties  of  the  day. 

The  voice  of  exhortation  is  now  heard. 
What  says  that  middle-aged  disciple,  the 
teacher's  right-hand  man  and  his  deacon,  so 
long  as  he  holds  the  office  well  ?  "  Brothers, 
we  are  happy  to-day.  Our  fathers  died  in 
darkness,  they  worshiped  spirits  which  they 
believed  at  death  enter  into  snakes  ;  but  we 
have  the  Bible.  Brothers,  what  are  our  feelings 
to-day  in  respect  to  God's  loving  kindness  to 
us,  and  our  duty  to  him?  Are  we  doing  all 
in  our  power  to  make  known  the  truth  to  our 
benighted  countrymen?" 

Well  spoken,  good  fellow !  I  think  you 
are  sincere.  You  certainly  did  not  come  to 
the  mission  station  for  the  sake  of  filthy  lucre. 
Had  you  remained  in  your  profession  as  a 
"  medicine  man,"  you  might  ere  this  have  built 
for  yourself  a  large  kraal,  married  four  or 
five  wives,  and  enjoyed  the  world  as  much  as 
any  of  your  heathen  friends ;  but  God's 
Spirit  reached  your  heart  and  turned  the 
whole   current   of    your    life,    and   now,    like 


136  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

Andrew,  you  have  found  your  brother  Simon 
and  brought  him  to  Jesus. 

Another  voice  rather  plaintively  breaks  on 
the  ear.  Converted  Zulus  obey  the  injunction, 
"  Confess  your  faults  to  one  another." 
"  Friends,  I  have  done  wrong.  I  have  often 
heard  those  words  of  Scripture,  '  Abstain  from 
all  appearance  of  evil ; '  but  when  I  heard  the 
singing  and  dancing  in  yonder  kraal  the  other 
day,  I  forgot  and  joined  the  company  of  spec- 
tators. The  teacher  called  me  and  explained 
the  eighth  chapter  of  1  Corinthians,  and  I  saw 
as  I  never  did  before  that  I  was  sinning  against 
the  brethren  and  wounding  their  weak  con- 
sciences. I  have  resolved  never  to  do  this  again. 
Pray  for  me."  The  missionary,  ex  animo :  Good, 
there  is  hope  for  you  and  for  the  rest.  The 
cause  of  God  is  looking  up.  Conscience  is 
not  asleep.  God  grant  his  aid  to-day  that  I 
may  speak  words  of  encouragement  to  these 
tempted  but  resisting  souls ! 

The  meeting  closes,  and  one  after  another 
thoughtfully  but  cheerfully  retires  to  his  home. 
At  ten  o'clock  the  bell  announces  the  time  for 
Sabbath-school.  How  attractive  the  appear- 
ance of  that  well-clad  family,  consisting  of 
father,  mother,  and  four  daughters !  They 
have  walked  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  as  they 
are  accustomed  to  do  every  pleasant  Sabbath, 
that  they  may  receive  religious  instruction. 
There  is  a  father  bringing  in  his  arms  a  little 
child !  How  unlike  other  Zulu  men  in  that ! 
The  mother  is  delicate  and  inadequate  to  the 


The  Sabbath  at  Esidumbini.  137 

task,  but  he  has  learned  from  the  gospel  that 
he  should  not  only  love  his  wife,  but  help  bear 
her  burdens.  The  natives  take  their  seats 
and  bow  the  head  in  silent  prayer.  The  sub- 
ject for  the  morning's  sermon  is  the  choice  of 
Ruth,  "  Whither  thou  goest,  I  will  go,"  etc.,  to 
which  all  heathen  as .  well  as  Christians  give 
good  attention.  Near  the  close  when  the 
question  is  asked,  "  Who  among  you  has 
decided  to  serve  God  ?  "  the  missionary  sees  in 
many  faces  the  response,  "  I  have  decided,"  At 
three  p.m.  the  bell  calls  the  natives  to  a  "  re- 
membering exercise ; "  that  is,  to  give  account 
of  what  they  recollect  of  the  morning's  dis- 
course. Between  them  all  the  main  thoughts, 
especially  the  stories,  are  rehearsed  and  then 
application  is  made  of  the  truth  to  the  heart 
and  conscience.  This  service  over,  some  stop 
to  ask  questions  or  to  sing.  A  part  of  Sabbath 
evening  the  missionary  has  to  himself,  in  which 
a  sermon  in  English  is  read,  then  the  natives 
of  the  household  gather  for  evening  prayers, 
and  at  nine  o'clock  all  retire,  none  more  joyful 
than  those  who  can  sing,  "  One  more  day's 
work  for  Jesus." 

Among  our  children  Sunday  was  also  a  day 
to  be  remembered.  A  friend  asked  my  eldest 
daughter,  not  long  ago,  "  Were  Sundays  made 
pleasant  to  you  and  your  brothers  and  sisters 
when  you  were  young  and  living  among  the 
Zulus  ?  "     Her  reply  was  as  follows  :  — 

"Yes.  In  the  first  place  we  always  had  a 
treat   of    some   sort  for    our    Sunday   dinner. 


138  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

Nothing  to  make  work  in  any  way,  but  some- 
thing we  especially  fancied  and  did  not  have 
on  other  days.  At  one  time,  mother  had  a 
recipe  for  an  English  bun,  which  she  baked  on 
Saturday  for  Sunday.  And  if  we  ever  got 
leave  to  make  sugar  taffy,  it  was  Saturday 
afternoon,  and  the  candy  was  laid  by  for  Sun- 
day. Sabbath  morning  special  books  were 
brought  out  and  lessons  assigned  to  the  older 
ones,  while  the  little  children  had  certain  Sun- 
day toys,  not  used  on  other  days,  which  thus 
had  a  sort  of  freshness  and  pleasant  associa- 
tions. The  morning  service  in  Zulu  was  level 
to  the  understanding  of  the  natives  and  not 
above  that  of  intelligent  children.  We  all 
helped  in  the  singing,  and  learned  to  play  for 
it  after  we  had  a  melodeon.  I  was  made  a 
teacher  of  small  children  at  seven  years  of  age, 
and  I  had  occupation  for  Sunday  morning 
deciding  what  and  how  I  should  teach.  In 
the  afternoon  Ave  gathered  round  our  parents, 
and  after  our  lessons  and  little  talks  they 
showed  us  pictures,  daguerreotypes  of  the 
friends  in  America,  told  us  where  they  lived, 
and  stories  about  them.  We  always  walked  in 
the  garden  before  tea,  and  each  was  allowed  to 
pick  a  bunch  of  flowers.  Sometimes  mother 
brought  out  her  scrapbooks  and  read  pieces  to 
us,  or  picture  books  she  had  made,  of  which 
she  was  very  choice,  not  letting  us  handle  them 
ourselves.  If  the  weather  were  cool,  we  gath- 
ered in  the  kitchen,  and  the  Zulu  boys  and 
girls  shared  in  the  treat.     After  tea  we  sang 


The  Sabbath  at  Esidumbini.  139 

with  them ;  then  father  trotted  the  little  ones 
on  his  knee,  and  we  all  went  to  bed  early ;  and 
after  mother  had  tucked  us  up  we  had  the 
whispered  confidences  and  earnest  prayers  that 
mean  so  much.' 


CHAPTER   XVL 

VISIT   TO   THE    UNITED    STATES.  —  NEW    WORK. 

TWENTY-TWO  happy  years  rolled  by, 
happier  I  think  than  they  would  have 
been  even  if  I  had  accepted  a  call  in  1849  from 
a  church  in  Massachusetts,  to  become  its  pas- 
tor. Not  a  single  Sabbath  was  I  prevented  by 
ill  health  from  preaching.  Only  once  was  a 
doctor,  thirty  miles  away,  called  to  my  house, 
and  before  his  arrival  the  sick  one  was  con- 
valescent. The  shield  of  the  Almighty  pro- 
tected us  from  all  harm.  Twice  the  alarm  was 
sounded,  filling  the  station  people  with  terror, 
"  Impi  i  ngene  I  (The  enemy  has  come !)  "  but  no 
enemy  appeared.  One  day  as  I  was  cutting  up 
a  pig  which  had  been  killed,  a  letter  came  from 
the  colonial  office  in  Maritzburg,  the  capital  of 
Natal,  saying,  "  We  apprehend  a  Zulu  invasion. 
Flee  at  once  to  a  place  of  safety."  I  said  to 
Mrs.  Tyler,  who  did  not  believe  there  was  dan- 
ger, "Shall  we  flee  ?  "  "  Not  till  we  have  made 
the  sausages,"  was  her  reply.  The  alarm  was 
caused  by  a  party  of  Zulus  hunting  wild  pigs 
on  the  borders  of  the  colony,  and  the  report 
spread  that  a  raid  was  contemplated.  Had  an 
invasion  occurred,  it  would  have  been  impossible 
for  us  to  escape  without  two  days'  warning,  as 
we  were  fifty  miles   from    the   nearest   fortifi- 

140 


Visit  to  the  United  States.  141 

cation,  to  which  we  should  have  been  obliged 
to  go  in  an  ox-wagon.  Hiding  in  the  bush 
would  have  been  our  wisest  course.  There 
was  an  old  cave  a  short  distance  from  my 
house,  once  occupied  by  a  lion,  and  into  that 
we  should  have  gone,  taking  food  and  blankets. 
Zulus,  when  on  raids,  do  not,  as  a  rule,  spend 
time  in  "  scouring  the  bush."  What  they  want 
is  cattle,  and  all  the  girls  they  can  seize.  The 
latter,  on  their  return  home,  are  distributed 
among  them  for  wives. 

Having  charge  of  a  printing  press,  from 
which  there  issued  the  first  Zulu  New  Testa- 
ment, two  hymn  books,  an  ecclesiastical  histoi  y, 
and  a  variety  of  tracts,  in  addition  to  the 
'■'■Ikivezi  (Morning  Star),"  a  monthly  paper 
in  the  native  language,  of  which  I  was  the 
editor  for  eight  years,  together  with  preaching 
and  itinerating  among  the  kraals,  overseeing 
the  station,  etc.,  the  time  was  fully  and  pleas- 
antly occupied. 

While  at  Esidumbini  the  Lord  gave  us  six 
children,  whom  we  earnestly  desired  to  see 
settled  where  they  could  be  properly  educated. 
This,  together  with  a  longing  to  meet  again 
dear  relatives,  led  us  to  ask  permission  to  visit 
our  native  land.  To  part  even  for  a  season 
with  our  little  church  of  thirty  members  and 
a  body  of  adherents  to  the  station,  for  whom 
we  had  formed  a  strong  attachment,  was  a 
sore  trial:  but  a  native  minister  was  appointed 
to  take  the  oversight,  and  we  broke  away  from 
them,  promising  to  return  in  good  time  if  life 


142  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

were  spared.  The  two  years  spent  in  this 
country  were  intensely  interesting.  Visiting 
the  cliurehes,  forming  new  acquaintances,  the 
enjoyment  of  social,  intellectual,  and  religious 
privileges,  were  sweet  and  strengthening;  but 
all  the  while  a  feeling  would  come  uppermost 
that  we  were  needed  among  the  Zulus  and 
must  go  back  as  soon  as  practicable.  Then 
came  the  great  trial  of  our  lives,  with  which, 
for  depth  and  grievousness,  none  we  had  ex- 
perienced in  Africa  can  be  compared  —  a  trial 
which  foreign  missionaries  who  are  parents, 
about  to  return  to  their  fields,  alone  can  under- 
stand—  the  parting  with  dear  children.  The 
two  youngest  we  decided  to  take  back  with  us. 
All  we  could  do  was  to  commit  those  left  behind 
to  the  care  of  our  covenant-keeping  God. 

On  our  return  to  Natal  we  did  not  renew  our 
labors  at  Esidumbini.  The  native  helper  left 
in  charge  had  done  so  well  that  the  mission 
concluded  to  carry  out  a  policy  recommended 
by  the  Board  of  settling  native  pastors  over 
churches  established  by  white  missionaries,  thus 
allowing  the  latter  to  go  to  "  regions  be- 
yond," or  places  where  they  were  more  needed. 
Our  native  friends  and  spiritual  children  de- 
murred at  this,  calling  loudly  for  their  "father 
and  mother  "  ;  but  it  seemed  best  to  conform  to 
the  above  policy.  We  were,  however,  located 
at  Umsunduzi,  a  station  only  fifteen  miles 
away,  and  were  appointed  superintendents  of 
the  old  one.  Our  new  home,  though  not  so 
elevated   and   healthy  as   Esidumbini,    was   in 


Visit  to  the  United  States.  143 

a  beautiful  part  of  the  colony,  twenty  miles 
from  the  sea,  of  which  it  commanded  a  fine 
view.  Undulating  hills  covered  the  greater 
part  of  the  year  with  green  grass  and  flowers, 
valleys  and  streams  and  numerous  clusters  of 
trees,  presented  a  landscape  never  wearisome 
to  the  eye.  Established  by  Rev.  Lewis  Grout 
in  1847,  tlie  grounds  were  carefully  laid  out 
and  subsequently  improved  by  Rev.  William 
Mellen,  making  it  exceedingly  picturesque. 
As  at  all  our  mission  stations  fruit  and  vegeta- 
ble gardens  were  a  necessity,  and  we  had 
oranges,  lemons,  guavas,  mangoes,  peaches, 
loquats,  and  pineapples.  A  large  banana  gar- 
den provided  huge  clusters  of  this  delicious 
fruit  the  year  round.  An  avenue  lined  by  tall 
china  trees  led  from  the  house  to  the  chapel. 
At  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  which  the  mission 
house  stands  is  a  natural  fernery,  in  which  tall 
trees  shoot  up  as  if  trying  to  get  beyond  the 
ferns  that  twine  about  them.  A  wide  held  is 
this  for  biologists  and  botanists,  so  full  is 
it  of  animal  and  vegetable  life.  Near  the 
chapel  is  a  triangular  piece  of  ground  reserved 
as  "  God's  acre "  with  its  cedar,  arbor  vitse, 
and  oleander  trees,  sacred  to  many  friends. 

In  connection  with  Mr.  Mellen  and  his  fam- 
ily we  labored  till  they  went  to  America,  in 
1875.  While  together  we  could  do  more  itin- 
erating, visiting  out-stations,  etc.  Natives  will- 
ingly assembled  under  shady  trees,  or  in  some 
sheltered  place,  unless  they  had,  previous  to  our 
arrival,  gone  to  beer  parties.     "  Kraal  preach- 


144  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

t 

ing,"  as  we  used  to  call  this  method  of  labor, 
appeared  at  first  like  "  beating  the  air,"  but 
later  experience  led  us  to  conclude  that  it  is 
an  important  part  of  our  work.  It  was  "  cast- 
ing bread  upon  the  waters,"  which  was  "  found 
after  many  days." 

Abraham,  an  interesting  young  man,  trained 
by  Mr.  Mellen  to  evangelistic  labor,  asked  me 
one  Sabbath  to  accompany  him  to  an  out-station 
eight  miles  distant.  Forty  minutes'  ride  on 
horseback  brought  us  to  the  end  of  a  table- 
land, from  which  the  outlook  was  uncommonly 
fine.  Below  us  lay  an  immense  basin  filled 
with  rivulets,  and  hills  on  which  were  perched 
numerous  kraals,  while  near  them  flocks  of 
goats  and  cattle  were  grazing.  Far  away  to 
the  north  lay  the  mountains  of  Zululand.  On 
the  south  loomed  up  the  tabular-shaped  Inanda 
mountain  and  the  rugged  Isangwana  (Little 
Gate),  so  called  from  an  opening  on  the  top 
of  a  cliff.  The  scenery  was  magnificent,  but 
alas,  how  devoid  of  anything  indicating  moral 
beauty!  Like  ancient  Galilee,  it  was  the  "re- 
gion and  shadow  of  death."  It  was  a  relief  to 
view  in  the  distance  one  spot  in  which  light 
had  sprung  up,  Itafamasi,  the  station  of  Rev. 
Benjamin  Hawes  (a  native  pastor),  was  dis- 
tinguishable six  miles  away  by  a  cluster  of 
whitewashed  cottages,  the  abodes  of  Christian 
Zulus,  and  some  china  trees  planted  by  Rev. 
Samuel  Marsh,  who  founded  the  station.  It 
was,  and  is  now,  an  oasis  in  that  moral  desert. 

Descending   half    a    mile  with   difficulty  on 


Visit  to  the  United  States.  145 

account  of  rocks  in  the  path,  an  hour's  ride 
through  ravines  brought  us  to  the  spot  where 
Abraham  was  accustomed  to  meet  his  country- 
men. But  to  our  surprise  no  audience  ap- 
peared. Herder  boys  explained  to  us  the 
reason.  The  chief  of  the  country  had  invited 
his  leading  men  to  a  beer  drink,  and  they, 
preferring  it  to  the  gospel,  had  accepted.  The 
Zulus  not  coming  to  us,  we  concluded  to  go  to 
them,  and  to  their  evident  astonishment  rode 
into  the  chiefs  kraal  and  crept  into  the  largest 
hut  just  as  the  assembly  were  preparing  for 
their  favorite  potation.  The  audience  that 
confronted  us  was  grotesque  in  the  extreme. 
Thirty  or  forty  men  of  various  ages,  seated  in 
as  small  a  compass  as  possible,  destitute  of 
civilized  clothing,  their  arms  folded  and  their 
chins  almost  resting  upon  their  knees,  occupied 
every  part  of  the  hut  except  that  devoted  to 
calabashes  and  pots  of  beer,  and  gazed  on  me 
with  curiosity.  Probably  they  had  never  met 
a  white  missionary  under  such  circumstances. 
I  thought  I  could  detect  on  the  countenances 
of  a  few  chagrin  that  I  should  make  use  of 
such  an  occasion  for  preaching,  but  the  major- 
ity were  apparently  ready  to  listen  and  were 
respectful.  Zulu  politeness  —  a  natural  trait  — 
did  not  forsake  them,  though  a  few  were  impa- 
tient. The  "  old,  old  story  "  was  not  devoid  of 
freshness  and  adaptation,  though  told  in  a  Zulu 
hut  under  seemingly  adverse  circumstances. 
Had  we  been  a  few  minutes  later,  drinking 
would   have    commenced,  and   it   would   have 


146  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 


been  difficult  to  get  their  attention.  Both 
Abraham  and  myself  cpoke  particularly  of 
tlie  sin  of  Sabbath  desecration,  and  tlie  chief 
replied :  "  We  have  done  wrong !  We  will  have 
no  more  beer  parties  on  the  day  of  the  great 
King." 

Mrs.  Tyler,  in  writing  to  a  friend  in  this 
country,  about  that  time,  observed :  "  We  have 
little  touches  of  encouragement  almost  every 
day  which  enable  us  to  hold  on  our  way  with 
hope.  This  afternoon,  just  as  I  had  seated  my- 
self to  write  to  you,  two  heathen  women  came 
to  get  medicine  for  their  children.  I  was  glad 
to  have  an  opportunity  to  sow  a  little  seed  in 
their  hearts.  We  had  a  good  talk  about  the 
present  and  the  future  life,  and  about  God  as 
our  Father.  One  of  them  said,  '  It  is  dreadful 
to  think  about  God  and  to  know  that  he  is 
watchinor  us  all  the  time  ! '  The  other  said  she 
would  not  be  sorry  to  die  if  she  could  see  her 
father  and  be  with  him  again.  Just  then  my 
good  washerwoman  came  with  the  clothes,  and 
sat  by  us  explaining  in  her  own  simple  lan- 
guage what  I  wanted  them  to  know.  She  told 
them  that  she  liked  to  think  of  God  as  her 
Father,  and  added  her  testimony  in  regard  to 
the  happiness  of  those  who  are  his  loving  and 
obedient  children.  She  earnestly  begged  them 
to  become  the  followers  of  Christ.  The  women 
left  with  subdued  faces,  and  I  hope  their  hearts 
were  somewhat  impressed." 

Soon  after  she  again  wrote  :  "  Tliis  morning 
one  of  my  old  women,  who  is  a  great  comfort 


Visit  to  the  United  States.  147 

to  me  on  account  of  the  simplicity  and  earnest- 
ness of  her  faith,  came  for  a  dress  to  give  to 
her  little  daughter  that  she  might  appear  well 
at  a  wedding  about  to  take  place.  At  ten 
o'clock  a  small  procession  of  girls  came  march- 
ing up  the  path  leading  to  the  chapel,  escort- 
ing the  bride.  The  bridegroom,  who  with  his 
friends  had  been  waiting  some  time  under  the 
shade  of  the  trees,  followed  on.  The  ceremony- 
over,  and  while  the  married  couple  were  sign- 
ing the  marriage  register,  the  father  of  the 
bride  said  he  had  a  word  of  caution  to  give : 
'■You  must  keep  your  promises.  It  is  getting 
to  be  the  custom  to  separate  after  a  time,  and 
that  is  worse  than  the  heathen  do,  for  they 
understand  that  once  married  there  is  to  be  no 
divorce  ! '  The  father  previously  had  married 
all  his  daughters  to  heathen  men,  but  he  was 
glad  to  have  this  one  united  to  a  civilized  man, 
though  he  was  anxious  lest  she  should  abuse 
her  liberty.  The  mother  mourned  over  her 
daughters  in  heathenism,  and  this  one  had 
been  of  little  comfort  to  her ;  but  in  our  fare- 
well talk  I  found  that  the  bride  was  more  ten- 
der than  usual  and  disposed  to  do  right.  She 
wished  to  sign  the  temperance  pledge  before 
she  went  to  her  new  home.  After  plenty  of 
lemonade  and  a  feast  on  bananas,  all  marched 
away,  singing,  to  the  tune  of  '  John  Brown's 
body,'- 

'  Beer  is  our  enemy  I 
Let  us  leave  off  drinking ! '  etc." 

In  another   letter  she  said  :    "  Last  Sunday 


148  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

afternoon  in  the  service  our  native  preacher 
conducted,  he  spoke  on  the  subject  of  genuine 
conversions,  and  alhided  particularly  to  Silas 
Nembula,  with  whom  he  attended  school  at 
Adams :  '  The  brightest  scholar,  the  one  to 
wliom  we  all  resorted  for  help  in  translating 
into  English,  in  arithmetic  or  anything  we 
required  —  but  he  was  a  boy  like  ourselves. 
When  he  gave  himself  to  Christ  we  did  not 
need  to  ask  if  he  were  a  true  Christian ;  he 
was  so  humble  no  one  doubted  it.  All  knew 
that  he  had  learned  of  the  Master  that  beauti- 
ful Christian  humility  which  he  maintained  till 
his  death.' " 

Silas  was  the  grandchild  of  Monasi,  the  first 
convert  to  Christianity  among  the  Zulus. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

EXPERIENCES   AT   IBISUNDUZI. 

IT  took  US  some  time  to  become  acquainted 
with  the  kraals  occupying  the  mission  re- 
serve of  about  six  thousand  acres  at  Umsunduzi, 
but  after  that  everything  went  smoothly.  The 
heathen  were  friendly  and  our  Sabbath  congre- 
gations large  and  attentive.  To  show  that  an 
African  missionary's  life  is  not  a  monotonous 
one,  I  give  the  experience  of  one  day. 

At  sunrise  a  rap  on  our  front  door  announced 
the  arrival  of  the  postman,  who  was  to  take 
our  letters  to  Verulam,  the  nearest  European 
village,  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles.  Rising 
hurriedly  I  tied  up  the  postal  matter,  put  it  in 
a  bag  made  of  wagon  canvas,  gave  the  carrier 
sixpence  with  which  to  purchase  his  dinner, 
and  a  caution  not  to  waste  his  time  and  mine 
snuffing  by  the  way.  While  at  breakfast  word 
came  that  Jack,  the  horse  I  was  intending  to 
ride  while  visiting  the  people,  had  a  swollen  leg. 
A  bottle  of  "  imbrocation "  was  given  to  the 
horse-boy,  with  directions  how  to  use  it,  and  I 
returned  to  my  morning  meal.  During  family 
prayers  in  English,  natives  were  assembling  in 
the  yard  in  front  of  the  house,  each  on  impor- 
tant business.  One  mother  took  down  from  a 
leather   shawl   tied   pouch-like  on  her  back  a 

149 


160  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 


child  of  six  months  who  had  caused  her  sleep- 
less nights.  A  dose  of  castor  oil  with  two  of 
santonine,  and  explanations  how  to  administer 
the  latter,  and  the  woman  left  with  a  lighter 
lieart.  Another  said  that  her  baby  had  crept 
into  the  fire  during  the  night  and  was  badly 
burned.  A  little  Turner's  cerate,  with  a  cloth 
for  bandage,  etc.,  and  this  sad  mother  departed. 
The  next  patient  was  a  tall,  athletic  man,  who 
did  not  appear  ill  in  the  least.  But  he  insisted 
that  bile  was  killing  him,  and  nothing  would 
satisfy  him  but  a  big  dose  of  jalap  and  calomel. 
While  carefully  measuring  the  latter,  he  said, 
"  Put  in  more ;  black  people  need  twice  as 
much  as  you  whites."  This  man  attended  to, 
another  appeared  with  a  long  face  and  a  piteous 
story.  He  had  incurred  a  debt,  and  inquired  if 
I  could  not  lend  him  twenty-five  dollars  for  a 
few  months.  Without  stopping  to  give  a  lec- 
ture on  the  importance  of  keeping  free  from 
debt,  but  saying,  "You  know  well  that  we 
missionaries  are  not  money-lenders,"  I  dis- 
missed this  last  of  my  morning  callers. 

Mounting  my  horse  I  proceeded  to  a  kraal 
about  a  mile  from  my  house.  The  headman  I 
found  seated  outside  the  door  of  one  of  the 
huts  chatting  earnestly  with  some  of  his  neigh- 
bors. After  a  polite  salutation,  for  Zulu  men 
usually  observe  their  rules  of  etiquette,  I  was 
invited  to  sit  by  his  side  on  a  wooden  stool, 
which  is  also  used  as  a  pillow.  The  matter 
under  discussion  was  of  deep  interest.  It 
seemed  that  a  certain  woman  had  been  seriously 


Experiences  at  UmsunduzL  151 

ill,  but  her  illness  was  of  a  peculiar  nature. 
She  was  possessed  with  evil  spirits,  and  all 
efforts  on  the  part  of  her  friends  to  exorcise 
these  spirits  had  been  unsuccessful.  "But," 
said  I,  "  this  must  be  stopped.  I  cannot  allow 
her  to  live  on  the  mission  reserve  if  she  prac- 
tices arts  of  divination,  which  she  is  evidently 
wishing  to  do."  "  Alas  !  teacher,  we  know  it," 
said  they,  "  but  how  to  stop  it  we  cannot  tell. 
It  is  beyond  our  power."  Promising  to  see  the 
woman  myself  and  use  my  influence  to  change 
her  designs,  and  invoking  the  aid  of  almighty 
God  in  turning  from  darkness  to  light  not  only 
this  unfortunate  individual  but  all  the  victims 
of  superstition,  I  went  to  another  kraal. 

This  had  but  two  huts  in  it,  and  its  owner 
was  a  young  man,  the  possessor  of  two  wives. 
There  was  an  appearance  of  poverty  about  the 
place.  The  cattle  fold  held  no  cows.  I  asked 
the  usual  question,  "  Are  you  well  ?  "  "  No ;  I 
am  not  well;"  and  his  next  sentence  explained 
the  cause.  "  We  have  famine  here."  "  Where 
are  your  cattle  ?  "  "  Gone  to  pay  for  my  second 
wife,"  was  the  response.  "  Ah,  I  see  the  cause 
of  your  trouble.  But  you  have  only  yourself 
to  blame.  You  have  been  told  many  times  that 
polygamy  is  not  a  custom  pleasing  to  our 
Master,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  and  you  knew 
better  than  to  part  with  all  your  cows  to  gratify 
your  vile  passions."  "Oh,  this  is  the  custom 
of  black  people !  We  cannot  abandon  it,"  was 
his  reply. 

After  a  few  words  of  admonition   and   en- 


152  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

treaty  I  rode  to  another  Zulu  dwelling  —  an 
upright  house  neatly  thatched  and  white- 
washed. Outside,  the  grounds  were  tidy  and 
the  inside  was  no  less  so.  Seated  in  an  Amer- 
ican chair,  I  had  a  pleasant  chat  with  the  occu- 
pants. I  had  come  into  quite  a  different  atmos- 
phere—  into  a  Christian  home.  Various  plans 
were  discussed  for  bringing  the  heathen  people 
about  us  to  feel  their  need  of  the  gospel  and 
to  send  their  children  to  the  station  school. 
Prayer  was  offered,  in  which  all  joined  with 
reverence.     Then  I  returned  home. 

Dinner  over,  there  were  a  dozen  or  more 
little  matters  to  be  attended  to,  letters  to  write, 
native  boys  to  have  work  given  them,  and  then 
came  the  weekly  temperance  meeting  conducted 
by  my  native  assistant.  All  were  urged  most 
earnestly  to  refrain  from  all  kinds  of  evil,  drink- 
ing beer  especially.  Then  a  discussion  ensued 
which  was  not  ended  till  sundown,  and  one 
young  man  had  signed  the  pledge.  Before  tea 
several  attendants  at  meeting  requested  an 
interview,  and  then  we  sat  down  to  our  evening 
meal.  Soon  the  postman  arrived,  and  for  a 
short  time  we  were  in  a  state  of  excitement 
hoping  to  see  some  American  letters  and  hear 
of  our  dear  ones  over  the  sea.  We  were, 
however,  disappointed.  The  bell  for  evening 
prayers  was  rung,  after  which  four  boys  and 
three  girls  were  instructed,  and  then  came  a 
time  of  quiet  and  freedom  before  retiring. 

About  the  same  time  Mrs.  Tyler  recorded  as 
follows  a  day  of  her  experience  :  — 


Experiences  at  Umsunduzi.  153 


"  Awakened  by  the  sound  of  horse's  hoofs 
on  the  hard  walk  in  front  of  the  house,  I  found 
it  was  the  traveler  who  had  spent  the  Sabbath 
with  us,  starting  for  home.  Breakfast  on 
hasty  pudding  as  usual,  with  syrup,  as  our 
milk  did  not  reach  us  in  time.  When  the 
school-teacher  came,  he  told  me  what  some  of 
the  people  had  said  at  the  prayer  meeting  on 
the  preceding  day.  One  of  the  church  mem- 
bers had  broken  his  pledge  and  drunk  beer  at 
different  places,  for  which  he  was  very  sorry, 
and  wanted  all  to  pray  for  him  that  he  might 
tr}^  again. 

"  Another  said  he  saw  more  and  more  that  it 
was  better  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  beer  in 
their  houses,  and,  although  he  had  not  signed 
the  pledge,  nor  taken  the  'blue  ribbon,'  he 
had  taken  none  for  a  long  time.  Moreover, 
when  invited  by  his  married  son  to  go  to  his 
house  and  partake  of  a  feast  where  there  was 
beer,  he  had  declined,  saying  that  'the  pres- 
ence of  beer  would  spoil  all  that  was  rational.' 
"The  school  bell  rang,  the  native  girls 
hastened  to  their  studies,  and  I  was  left  alone 
for  quiet  reading,  as  I  hoped.  The  Gospel  of 
John  is  now  our  study  in  Sunday-school,  and 
we  naturally  turn  to  it  for  private  reading,  so 
as  to  gather  up  and  have  ready  all  we  can 
for  our  classes.  Last  Sunday  one  of  the  men 
remarked  that  he  had  read  Mary's  words  to  the 
servants  in  the  second  chapter,  fifth  verse: 
'Whatsoever  he  saith  unto  you,  do  it';  but 
it   never   occurred    to   him   how   it    could    be 


154  Fort  11  Years  Amoiuj  the  Zulus. 

applied  to  us.  '  So  it  is,'  he  added,  '  we  are 
all  the  time  finding  something  new  in  the 
Bible.'  While  T  was  reading,  there  was  a  knock, 
and  an  old  ehureh  member  with  his  wife  came 
for  a  little  talk.  In  the  midst  of  our  conver- 
sation a  fine-looking  heathen  man  appeared, 
in  search  of  medicine  for  his  child,  who  had 
rolled  into  the  hot  ashes  at  night  and  burned 
the  whole  side  of  one  leg.  He  joined  so  in- 
telligently in  our  conversation,  I  was  led  to 
inquire  where  he  learned  so  much.  He  said 
he  had  lived  with  several  missionaries,  giving 
their  names,  and  knew  all  about  the  Bible  and 
our  religion.  When  I  asked  if  it  Avere  not 
worthy  of  reception,  he  replied,  '  Yes ;  it  is 
good  and  right;  but  when  I  saw  how  many 
promised  to  be  Christians  and  then  broke  their 
promises,  I  said  it  was  worse  than  not  to  make 
any.  So  I  am  trying  to  be  good  ivithout  prom- 
ises.' This  is  the  excuse  of  many  who  have 
been  taught  in  our  mission  stations,  as  we 
know  it  is  in  Christian  lands.  Individual 
responsibility  seems  to  have  little  meaning  to 
these  people.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  hear  them 
say,  '  We  are  content  to  die  and  go  where 
our  fathers  are.' 

"  The  next  call  was  from  a  young  man  who 
came  to  borrow  money  of  my  cook,  to  pay  his 
subscription  to  the  home  mission  fund.  After 
much  talk  between  them,  and  a  promise  that  it 
should  be  leturned  in  two  months,  he  took  the 
money  and  departed.  I  felt  bound  to  give  him 
a  short  lecture  on  industry,  as  I  had   noticed 


Experiences  at  Umsunduzi.  156 

him  the  week  previous  going  about  among  his 
friends  to  visit  and  talk,  instead  of  working  to 
earn  the  money  he  needed. 

"  The  afternoon  came,  and  the  bell  rang  for 
the  usual  prayer  meeting.  Soon  there  appeared 
my  good  old  washerwoman  asking  for  the 
money  she  had  earned  and  left  with  me,  in 
order  that  she  might  put  it  into  the  treasury 
of  the  'Home  Missionary  Society.'  Every  year 
she  pays  her  subscription  of  fl.25.  This 
year  wages  are  low,  and  the  people  find  it 
difficult  to  get  clothing  and  other  requisites ; 
so  we  are  not  surprised  to  find  their  contribu- 
tions less  than  usual.  After  the  meeting  in 
which  the  claims  of  home  missions  were 
discussed  and  subscriptions  received,  I  found 
among  the  names  of  contributors  one  who  had 
put  down  a  goat.  I  asked  him  how  he  would 
carry  it  to  the  meeting  which  was  at  hand. 
He  smiled,  saying  he  had  engaged  a  friend 
to  sell  it  for  him,  so  that  he  might  carry  the 
money.  He  did  not  reflect  he  might  have 
done  this  a  month  ago,  and  thus  be  sure  of 
the  money  in  time,  but  waited  until  the  last 
moment  before  saying  anything  about  it.  This 
is  characteristic  of  the  Zulus.  One  of  our  old 
missionaries  has  truly  said :  '  We  do  not  need  to 
preach  to  the  Zulus  on  the  text,  Take  no  thought 
for  the  morrow.     They  obey  that  literally.' 

"  Tea  over,  the  native  boys  belonging  to 
our  household  came  in  to  read,  and  we  had 
a  pleasant  talk  on  the  chapter  that  was  read, 
till  eight  o'clock,  when  I  dismissed  them  and 


166  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

called  in  our  two  little  kitchen  girls,  to  look 
after  their  clothing.  One  of  them  was  full  of 
smiles  when  she  found  that  I  had  a  nice  dress 
that  would  fit  her,  and  gave  me  a  hearty 
'Thank  you.'  I  suppose  she  never  had  hut 
one  dress  before  at  a  time,  and  when  that  was 
washed  was  obliged  to  wrap  herself  in  a  shawl 
or  old  garment  of  her  mother's.  The  girls 
retired  happy,  and  I  had  an  hour  for  sewing 
and  thinking  in  perfect  quiet.  My  mind  wan- 
dered back  to  our  iirst  days  in  Africa  and  along 
down  to  the  present  time.  Days  of  joy  and 
sadness,  of  happiness  and  trial,  of  success  and 
disappointment,  loomed  up  before  me ;  and  I 
saw  so  much  of  the  kindness  and  goodness  of 
our  heavenly  Father  to  us  that  at  the  close 
I  could  almost  forget  everything  else  ;  and  I 
hastened  to  retire  that  nothing  might  come  be- 
tween me  and  the  sweet  peace  that  seemed 
to  come  so  directly  from  above." 

The  mission  has  not  seen  fit  to  locate  a 
white  missionary  at  Umsunduzi  since  ill  health 
obliged  me  to  resign  my  charge  of  the  station. 
But  the  people  are  fortunate  in  having  as 
acting  pastor  a  native  whose  name  is  a  peculiar 
one  —  Bontyise,  which  is  the  Zulu  for  beans. 
Zulus,  like  the  Jews,  are  in  the  habit  of  naming 
their  children  after  some  circumstance  con- 
nected with  their  birth  ;  and  that  vegetable  was 
introduced  into  the  locality  of  his  birth  at  the 
time  he  was  born.  Bontyise  was  given  to  me 
by  his  father,  who  was  dying  of  consumption 
in    a  heathen   kraal.     I    said   to    him,   "  That 


Experiences  at  Umsunduzi.  157 

little  boy  will  soon  be  without  a  father.  Give 
him  to  me,  and  I  will  be  a  father  to  him." 
The  wives,  of  whom  there  were  six,  all  heard 
him  give  his  assent,  and  after  his  father's  de- 
cease the  lad  came  to  me.  I  had  him  educated 
at  Adams,  under  the  Rev.  William  Ireland,  and 
on  my  return  to  Natal,  after  my  first  visit  to 
the  United  States,  Bontyise  came  to  me  that 
he  might  study,  preparatory  to  preaching  the 
gospel.  While  pursuing  his  studies,  he  taught 
the  daily  school  at  Umsunduzi,  and  on  my 
leaving  South  Africa  assumed  the  charge  of 
the  station.  The  last  letter  I  received  from 
him  manifests  his  feelings,  which  I  doubt  not 
are  genuine  :  — 

My  dear  Father^  —  I  regret  to  learn  that  you  do 
not  feel  able  to  return  to  us.  I  hoped  to  see  you 
again  in  the  flesh;  but  if,  in  the  course  of  divine 
providence,  I  never  shall,  and  if  I  should  be  called 
to  die  first,  then  I  will  ask  my  heavenly  Father  to 
allow  me  to  sit  at  one  of  the  windows  of  heaven 
and  keep  on  the  lookout  for  you;  and  when  you 
come,  I  will  say  to  him :  "  There  is  my  beloved 
teacher  " ;  and  there  will  be  no  more  any  sea  to  sepa- 
rate us.    We  shall  be  forever  with  the  Lord. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

ZULU   CHURCHES. 

IN  the  first  days  of  our  mission  Zulu 
marriages  were  not  legal  in  tlio  eyes  of 
the  Natal  authorities  unless  cattle  were  paid; 
but  this  has  been  remedied,  and  mainly  through 
the  intervention  of  missionaries.  At  present 
if  the  father  or  brother  of  the  girl  to  be 
married  states  to  the  English  magistrate, 
before  witnesses,  that  he  will  not  call  for 
cattle,  it  is  recorded,  and  the  marriage  is  legal. 
Another  step  in  advance  has  been  taken.  If 
a  man  is  married  according  to  Christian  rites, 
and  takes  another  wife,  he  is  liable  to  be  pun- 
ished for  bigamy.  To  such  a  degree  does  the 
custom  of  ukulohola  feed  the  avarice  of  the 
father  and  foster  indolence  on  the  part  of 
the  brothers,  to  say  nothing  of  its  degrading 
effect  on  the  home  life,  that  missionaries  of 
various  bodies  in  Natal  have  considered  it 
wise  to  make  it  a  church  disciplinable  offense, 
the  Americans  taking  the  lead. 

In  1879,  after  careful  discussion  with  native 
pastors  and  lay  helpers,  a  set  of  regulations 
for  the  churches  under  our  supervision  was 
adopted.  They  ruled  out  polygamy,  barter 
in  women,  beer-drinking  parties,  all  intoxi- 
cating drinks,  and  the  smoking  of  wild  hemp. 

158 


Zulu  Churches.  159 


Frequent  cases  of  discipline  —  especially  for 
barter  in  women — occurred;  but  natives  on 
whose  judgment  we  could  rely  often  assured 
us  that  the  rules  were  none  too  strict.  It  was 
gratifying  to  see  that  some  church  members 
legislated  concerning  these  customs  without 
suggestion  from  their  white  teachers. 

A  church  organized  with  fifteen  members 
under  Nqumba,  a  native  pastor  at  Imputyane, 
near  Adams,  has  the  following  laws,  made  and 
adopted  by  themselves  :  — 

I.  No  polygamist  shall  be  allowed  to  become  a 
member  of  this  church. 

II.  He  who  sells  his  daughter  or  sister  treats  her 
like  a  horse  or  cow,  and  cannot  be  received  into  this 
church. 

III.  The  man  who  has  lost  his  wife  is  not  allowed 
to  live  with  another  woman  unless  they  are  married, 
and  a  widow  is  not  allowed  to  live  with  a  man  unless 
they  ai'e  married. 

IV.  No  young  man  or  woman  shall  be  allowed  to 
marry  according  to  heathen  customs. 

V.  No  member  of  this  church  shall  be  permitted 
to  attend  a  wedding  if  beer  is  drunk  there,  although 
he  may  have  been  invited  to  it. 

VI.  No  member  of  this  church  shall  be  permitted 
to  drink  the  *'  white  man's  grog,"  or  native  beer,  nor 
touch  it  with  bis  lips. 

VII.  No  beer  shall  be  made  on  this  station,  and  all 
who  come  here  from  other  stations  must  conform  to 
this  rule. 

VIII.  No  member  of  this  church  is  allowed  to 
smoke  wild  hemp  or  tobacco.  They  take  away  reason, 
knowledge,  and  good  character. 

IX.  No  member  of  this  church  is  allowed  to  go 
where  there  is  slaughtering  for  the  departed  spirits. 
Those  who  have  fellowship  with  those  who  do  so 


160  Forty  Years  among  the  Zulus. 

slaughter  countenance  this  superstition  and  are  not 
worthy  of  church  fellowship. 

Polygamous  converts  would  occasionally 
apply  for  admission  into  the  church,  and  in 
cases  where  there  seemed  to  be  religious  sin- 
cerity and  earnestness  it  was  hard  to  shut  the 
door  against  them.  A  striking  case  occurred  at 
Umsunduzi.  A  man  of  considerable  intelli- 
gence and  reputed  good  character  came  to  me 
with  his  two  wives,  each  of  whom  had  four 
children,  and  asked  permission  to  build  on  the 
mission  reserve,  saying,  "  I  have  heard  of  the 
Christian  religion,  and  I  wish  to  know  more 
about  it."  No  more  eager  listener  to  the 
Word  ever  came  within  sound  of  my  voice, 
and  the  conversations  we  had  with  him  re- 
vealed very  clearly  that  he  was  determined  to 
find  out  the  truth.  He  set  about  learning  to 
read,  and  within  ten  months  could  read  in 
the  New  Testament.  In  respect  to  the  domes- 
tic entanglement  into  which  he  had  entered 
before  he  came  to  the  station  and  previous  to 
his  knowledge  of  Christianity,  I  instructed  and 
advised  him  to  the  best  of  my  ability.  He 
professed  to  see,  and  I  believe  did  see,  that 
polygamy  is  an  evil  and  not  in  accordance  with 
the  teachings  of  the  gospel,  but  how  to  get  out 
of  it  was  the  question.  He  said  to  me  with 
deep  emotion,  "  I  have  decided  to  serve  God, 
and  wish  to  obey  him  in  all  things."  I  told 
him  to  look  upward  and  pray  fervently  for 
the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  assuring  him 
that,  if  he  did  so,  he  would  receive  divine  direc- 


Zulu  Ohurches.  161 


tion.  He  promised  to  do  this.  Soon  after  he 
rehearsed  to  me  the  difficulties  under  which  he 
labored.  He  said  to  his  second  wife,  "  Will 
you  leave  me?  You  see  the  fix  I  am  in. 
God's  Word  does  not  sanction  polygamy.  As 
I  am  now  I  cannot  connect  myself  with  the 
people  of  God."  She  replied,  "You  are  my 
husband.  I  cannot  love  another  man.  I  also 
want  to  be  a  Christian.  Besides,  there  are  the 
children.  Who  will  look  after  their  best  inter- 
ests as  well  as  their  father  ?  No ;  I  cannot 
leave  you.  Where  thou  goest  I  will  go  ; "  etc. 
A  similar  response  came  from  his  first  married 
wife.  It  is  no  wonder  that  both  chose  to  stick 
to  him,  for  he  is  the  most  amiable  Zulu  husband 
I  ever  knew. 

Baffled  in  this  attempt  to  extricate  himself, 
he  concluded  to  let  the  matter  alone  for  a 
while,  but  to  do  his  duty  as  a  Christian.  All 
his  children  were  placed  under  instruction,  the 
eldest  son  being  sent  to  Lovedale  College  in 
Kaffraria,  where  he  stayed  seven  years  and 
shone  brilliantly  as  a  scholar ;  another  son 
became  a  teacher  at  Adams,  and  several  of 
the  daughters  completed  a  course  of  education 
at  Lindley.  The  father  has  grown  in  Bible 
knowledge  and  stability  of  Christian  character. 
Both  of  the  wives  have  also  manifested  a 
desire  to  join  the  church.  The  question  arises. 
What  are  we  to  do  with  such  cases?  Some 
might  say,  as  was  said  to  me  more  times  than 
one,  "  Admit  them  into  the  church ;  you  have 
no  right  to  refuse."     It  is  easy  to  give  advice, 


162  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

but,  viewing  the  matter  in  all  its  lights,  I  am 
convinced  it  is  not  proper  to  receive  polyga- 
mous converts  to  church  fellowship.  I  agree 
with  what  Rev.  John  Paton,  that  most  heroic 
missionary  of  modern  times,  has  said  of  the 
natives  at  Aniwa  (an  island  of  the  New  Hebri- 
des) when  placed  in  similar  circumstances :  — 
"  How  could  we  have  led  natives  to  see  the 
difference  betwixt  admitting  a  man  to  the 
church  who  had  two  wives  and  not  permitting 
a  member  of  the  church  to  take  two  wives 
after  his  admission  ?  Their  moral  sense  is 
blunted  enough  without  knocking  their  heads 
against  a  conundrum  in  ethics.  In  our  church 
membership  we  have  to  draw  the  lines  as 
sharply  as  God's  Word  will  allow,  betwixt 
what  is  heathen  and  what  is  Christian,  instead 
of  minimizing  the  difference." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

ZULU   CHEISTIANS. 

TO  abandon  heathenism  and  live  a  consist- 
ent Christian  life  requires,  on  the  part 
of  Zulus,  considerable  moral  courage.  Their 
piety  is  sometimes  severely  tested.  We  had 
at  Umsunduzi  a  woman  whose  husband  was 
for  years  a  son  of  Belial,  persecuting  his  wife 
fearfully  whenever  she  manifested  a  desire  to 
serve  God.  Her  trouble  began  while  we  were 
at  Esidumbini,  to  which  station  she  once  fled, 
hoping  that  we  should  be  able  to  protect  her. 
So  long  as  she  remained  in  our  house,  we  could 
do  so,  for  a  white  man's  house  in  Natal  is  his 
castle,  into  which  no  native  dares  enter  with- 
out permission  ;  but  the  cunning  husband,  who 
was  on  the  watch,  caught  her  one  day  outside, 
seized  her  by  the  arm,  and  dragged  her  away. 
We  had  advised  her  to  bear  meekly  the  treat- 
ment she  received  and  to  pray  earnestly  that 
God  would  soften  her  husband's  heart.  Faku 
—  for  that  was  his  name  —  after  a  while  ceased 
annoying  her,  and  even  allowed  her  to  attend 
church.  She  saw  that  her  prayers  were  being 
answered.  Great  was  her  joy  when  she  per- 
ceived a  willingness  on  his  part  to  move  his 
residence  to  the  mission  station  that  the  chil- 
dren might  attend  the  daily  school.     She  had 

163 


164  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

been  in  the  habit  of  gathering  them  together 
for  family  prayer,  and  when  he  was  present 
she  saw  that  he  was  interested.  She  ventured 
to  ask  him  to  pray.  At  first  he  declined,  but 
afterwards  would  occasionally  take  her  place, 
and  she  noticed  a  gradual  softening  in  his 
speech  and  behavior.  This  led  her  to  pray 
more  fervently.  One  Friday  afternoon  at  the 
usual  prayer  meeting  when  opportunity  was 
given  for  any  one  to  speak,  Faku  rose  and  in 
a  very  humble  way  told  his  experience :  how 
he  knew  he  had  been  sinning  against  light, 
that  his  heart  had  been  bound  by  Satan,  and 
that  it  seemed  as  if  he  never  could  free  him- 
self from  his  grasp.  But  now  he  trusted  he 
had  found  help  in  Christ  and  that  he  should 
never  stray  from  him.  He  said  he  had  sold  all 
his  older  daughters  for  cattle,  but  not  a  cow 
was  to  be  seen  in  his  cattle  fold.  Like  other 
earthly  treasures,  they  were  all  swept  away, 
and  he  wanted  to  feel  that  in  Christ  he  had 
found  a  treasure  he  should  never  lose.  He 
had  been  cruel  to  his  wife  ;  but  she  had  always 
been  good  to  him  and  unwearied  in  her  efforts 
to  lead  him  in  the  right  way.  All  who  heard 
him  felt  that  he  was  saved  in  answer  to  her 
jyrayerH.  Her  face  wore  a  look  of  glad  sur- 
prise. No  one  spoke  for  a  few  minutes,  when 
she,  in  a  quiet  tone,  observed :  "  We  see  how 
God  loves  us;  we  do  not  know  how  to  love 
him  as  we  ought."  Then  she  knelt  and 
thanked  God  for  his  unspeakable  love.  One 
of  the  native  church  members  of  long  stand- 


Zulu  Christians.  165 

ing,  who  heard  her  pray,  said  he  never  saw- 
such  humility.  It  made  him  feel  that  he  was 
far  below  her  in  Christian  attainment.  Amid 
all  the  troubles  that  good  woman  experienced, 
her  hope  and  comfort  were  in  prayer.  She 
expected  God  to  answer  her  petitions,  although 
she  might  have  to  wait  many  days  before  the 
answer  came. 

Instances  occurred  in  which  men  living  in 
their  native  kraals  were  impressed  by  the 
truth  and  commenced  a  new  life  without 
going  to  the  station  and  living  in  houses 
built  in  European  style,  as  the  majority  of 
converts  were  in  the  habit  of  doing.  A  tall 
man,  clad  in  the  ordinary  attire  of  the  skins 
of  wild  animals,  was  seen  in  our  chapel  one 
Sabbath,  with  a  countenance  indicative  of  deep 
interest.  Unlike  most  of  the  men  he  took  his 
seat  in  the  Sabbath-school.  Mrs.  Tyler,  who 
was  always  on  the  lookout  for  opportunities 
to  deepen  any  impression  the  truth  may  have 
made,  found  that  he  was  under  conviction  of 
sin  and  anxious  to  know  the  way  of  salvation. 
It  was  not  long  before  he  became  a  decided 
Christian,  and  then  he  endeavored  to  biing  his 
wife  and  two  children  to  the  sanctuary.  Fre- 
quent interviews  with  him  convinced  me  that 
he  was  a  humble  and  sincere  believer.  But 
he  lived  only  a  few  months  after  his  conver- 
sion. Word  reaching  me  that  he  was  ill,  I 
went  to  him  at  once,  taking  such  medicines  as 
I  thought  he  required.  I  found  him  seated 
on  the  ground   outside   of  his  hut   apparently 


166  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

in  great  pain.  Thanking  me  for  the  medicine, 
lie  remarked,  to  my  surprise,  "I  shall  be  no 
better;  the  Lord  is  calling  me  to  himself."  He 
then  spoke  of  his  gratitude  for  all  I  had  done 
for  him,  particularly  for  my  instruction,  and 
said,  "  I  ask  j^ou  to  be  a  father  to  my  two 
children,  who  will  soon  have  no  earthly  father 
to  look  after  them.  ...  I  am  not  afraid  to  die. 
I  shall  soon  be  with  Jesus,  and  I  expect  to 
meet  you  in  the  heavenly  world."  After  a 
little  conversation  and  prayer  I  told  him  that  I 
hoped  the  medicine  would  relieve  him,  for  I  did 
not  consider  his  illness  of  so  serious  a  nature. 

Before  leaving,  I  noticed  a  freshly  dug  hole 
about  three  yards  from  the  place  where  the 
sick  man  was  seated,  and  wondered  what  it 
was  for,  but  made  no  remarks.  The  next  day 
tidings  came  that  he  died  at  early  dawn ;  and 
before  I  could  reach  the  kraal  his  two  little 
ones,  a  girl  of  twelve  j-ears  and  a  boy  of  ten, 
had  drjigged  the  body  to  that  freshly  dug  hole 
which  I  had  noticed  the  preceding  day,  and 
there  tiiey  buried  it.  The  mother,  ill  at  the 
time,  was  so  weakened-  by  the  shock  that  she 
could  render  the  children  no  assistance.  The 
latter,  when  asked  why  they  did  not  apply 
to  their  neighbors  for  help  in  burying  their 
father,  replied  that  the  native  custom  was  to 
pay  a  cow  and  calf  and  a  goat  for  "  the  wash- 
ing of  the  hands,"  which  they  were  too  poor 
to  give. 

I  took  the  boy  to  m}'^  home  and  placed  him 
in  school,  leaving   the   girl   Avith   the   mother. 


Zulu  Christians.  167 


When  I  went  after  her  a  few  months  later,  a 
heathen  relative  had  claimed  her  as  his  prop- 
erty and  refused  to  give  her  up.  Illustrations 
of  the  power  of  the  gospel  to  sustain  and 
comfort  in  a  dying  hour  I  have  seen  among 
the  Zulu  people,  hut  none  where  the  environ- 
ment was  one  of  such  deep  poverty  as  in  the 
case  just  described. 

Another  kraal  man  was  awakened  from  his 
heathen  slumber  on  a  Sabbath  day.  He  was 
rich  in  cattle  and  was  contemplating  the  pur- 
chase of  a  second  wife.  The  state  of  his 
lungs  prevented  his  coming  to  the  station  for 
instruction,  so  I  visited  him  frequently,  holding 
religious  services  in  his  hut.  For  several 
weeks  he  was  under  conviction,  and  when  he 
indulged  a  hope  of  pardon  his  joy  and  peace 
were  indescribable.  All  his  heathen  neighbors 
marked  the  change.  As  he  desired  to  join  the 
company  of  Christ's  followers  and  make  a 
public  confession  of  his  faith,  I  went  to  his 
kraal  one  Sabbath  afternoon,  taking  with  me 
one  of  my  daughters  and  twenty  members  of 
the  Umsunduzi  church.  About  the  same  num- 
ber of  heathen  men  and  women  joined  us, 
filling  the  hut  to  overflowing.  After  a  brief 
service,  followed  by  baptism  and  the  Lord's 
Supper,  I  gave  the  sick  man  an  opportunity  to 
make  a  few  remarks.  He  took  a  passage  of 
Scripture  he  had  heard  me  comment  upon : 
"  I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life."  I  will 
translate  literally  his  words  on  the  first  part 
of  that  passage  :  — 


168  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

"  My  friends,  you  see  that  I  am  soon  to  die, 
but  I  have  no  fear.  Jesus  is  my  Saviour,  and 
he  will  support  me.  He  is  the  way.  There 
is  no  other  way.  I  have  tried  the  ways  of 
the  world  in  search  of  peace  and  happiness, 
but  all  in  vain  till  I  found  the  Lord  Josus. 
My  last  words  to  you,  my  friends,  are,  '  Make 
the  Saviour  ji'iur  friend.'  He  will  not  only 
pardon  your  sins,  l)nt  will  comfort  you  when 
you  are  about  to  leave  the  world,  as  he  is  now 
comforting  me." 

An  unusual  solemnity  Avas  apparent  on  the 
countenances  of  his  heathen  relatives,  as  one 
after  the  other  they  crept  out  of  the  hut  and 
went  quietly  to  their  homes.  The  man  died 
soon  after  in  the  triumphs  of  faith. 

A  Christian  Zulu  father,  in  writing  about 
the  death  of  his  son,  whose  name  was  Ukani, 
said :  "  You  would  like  to  hear  some  of  his 
last  words.  He  said  to  me :  '  Do  you  know 
that  death  has  overcome  me  ?  Please  call  all 
the  children  of  our  house.'  They  came.  He 
looked  upon  them  and  wept.  He  remarked : 
'I  do  not  cry  because  of  fear  of  deatli,  bnt 
because  you  have  not  become  Christians.'  He 
talked  to  them  a  short  time  on  religious  sub- 
jects, and  then  said :  'I  do  not  know  whether 
the  morning  will  find  me  here.'  He  wanted 
me  to  read  to  him  from  Bunyan's  Pilgrim's 
Progress  —  a  book  of  which  he  was  very  fond 
—  and  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  chapters 
of  John's  Gospel.  He  rejoiced  very  much 
when  prayer  was  offered.     When  I  asked  him 


Zulu  Christians.  169 

what  I  should  pray  for,  he  replied :  '  That  I 
may  be  strengthened  in  the  Lord.'  Once  he 
prayed  that  the  Lord  would  come  and  take 
him  out  of  the  world,  and  said :  '  Father,  the 
Lord  does  not  hear  me.'  I  trembled,  and  said: 
'  Why  not  ? '  He  replied  :  '  Because  death  does 
not  come.'  He  then  added :  'I  do  not  com- 
plain. It  is  the  Lord's  will  that  I  endure  the 
pain.     His  will  be  done.' 

"  I  cannot  write  all  the  '  little  crumbs '  of  his 
talk.  On  Thursday  he  said  to  his  mother :  '  I 
see  a  little  of  the  place  to  which  I  am  going. 
I  see  a  beautiful  city,  and  this  side  of  it  a  river. 
The  city  has  many  people  in  it,  and  it  is  very 
nice.'  On  Friday  he  said  to  me :  '  Father,  do 
not  sleep  to-night,  for  I  feel  that  death  has 
taken  fast  hold  of  me.'  At  four  o'clock  he 
called  for  his  mother,  but  before  she  arrived  he 
leaned  his  head  back  and  died.  His  face  was 
as  if  he  were  slee^jing." 

A  Christian  Zulu  woman  died  at  the  Umvoti 
station  in  the  enjoyment  of  perfect  peace.  One 
who  was  an  eyewitness  reported  her  as  saying, 
"I  know  that  I  am  dying,  but  why  should 
I  fear  to  go  home  ?  I  love  my  Saviour.  I 
love  my  God.  I  have  no  fear.  All  is  so 
bright."  Her  last  words  were :  "  Jesus,  my 
Saviour ! " 

A  married  man  by  the  name  of  Kalo,  on  the 
same  station,  when  about  to  expire,  said  to  his 
weeping  friends  :  "  I  so  greatly  rejoice  to  go  to 
Jesus  in  heaven !  I  feel  I  am  in  the  right  way. 
Love   him,  all   of  you!     Wife,  cling   to  your 


170  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

faith ;  teacli  the  children ,  keep  them  as  Chris- 
tians should  be.  Let  us  all  meet  in  heaven ! " 
It  would  be  easy  to  present  more  illustrations 
of  the  power  of  Christianity  to  comfort  the 
soul  in  a  dying  hour,  which  have  come  under 
m}'  observation  during  the  period  of  my  mis- 
sionary labor  among  the  Zulus.  The  above 
must  suffice.  The  gospel,  and  that  alone,  can 
impart  peace  to  the  converted  African  when 
crossing  the  "dark  river,"  as  it  does  to  Chris- 
tians of  other  countries  and  other  climes. 


S3 


CHAPTER   XX. 

ZULU   PREACHERS. 

IT  was  a  prediction  of  President  Edwards 
that  "the  Ethiopian  might  in  time  be- 
come very  knowing  in  divine  things."  There 
are  no  instances  in  which  educated  Zulus  have 
attained  to  distinction  in  divine  knowledge, 
but  that  some  have  so  studied  the  Bible  and 
had  their  hearts  so  permeated  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  that  they  have  been  truly  eloquent, 
I  can  testify  from  personal  observation.  For 
direct,  earnest  appeal  to  the  conscience  I  have 
never  seen  them  surpassed.  They  do  not 
always  adhere  to  their  texts  ;  but  they  have 
this  sterling  characteristic,  which  cannot  be 
said  of  all  ministers  at  the  present  day  in 
their  preaching:  as  the  late  Robert  Moffat 
has  told  us  of  the  Bechuana  preachers,  "they 
are  careful  never  to  go  out  from  between 
Genesis  and  Revelation." 

No  attempt  to  frighten  a  Zulu  preacher  has 
as  yet  been  successful.  A  Trappist  monk  said 
to  one,  "  You  must  stop  preaching."  The  na- 
tive, who  was  holding  a  padlock  in  his  hand 
at  the  time,  replied,  "  If  you  should  fasten  my 
mouth  with  this  lock,  and  go  away  with  the 
key,  I  would  not  cease  to  proclaim  the  gospel." 

Seven  Zulu  ministers   have  received  ordina- 

171 


172  Forty  Tears  Among  the  Zulus. 


tioii  at  the  hands  of  American  missionaries. 
The  majority  have  done  well.  Three  have 
gone  to  their  reward. 

Rev.  James  Dubc  was  pastor  of  the  church 
at  Lindley,  the  station  named  after  its  beloved 
ionnder.  When  a  youth  like  other  Zulu  lads, 
Dube  was  assailed  by  temptations,  but  in  his 
case  there  was  special  danger,  for  he  was  the 
son  of  a  chief,  and  a  large  and  influential 
tribe  looked  to  him  as  their  future  ruler.  The 
emoluments  of  Zulu  chieftainship  are  great 
and  exceedingly  fascinating  in  the  eyes  of  the 
natives.  Dube  knew  well  that  if  he  remained 
in  heathenism  he  would  inherit,  not  only  power, 
but  wealth,  consisting  of  cattle,  by  which  he 
could  purchase  as  many  wives  as  he  desired. 
In  the  providence  of  God  he  was  brought 
under  the  influence  of  Mi',  and  Mrs.  Lindley, 
who  were  quick  to  see  the  danger  to  which 
he  was  exposed,  and  the  good  of  which  he 
might  be  instrumental  if  he  became  a  Chris- 
tian. B}^  wisdom  and  kindness  they  won  him 
to  the  mission  station  and  urged  on  his  atten- 
tion the  claims  of  the  gospel.  To  their  joy 
his  heart  responded  favorably.  Pie  agreed  to 
abandon  spirit  worship  and  to  give  up  all 
thought  of  becoming  a  polygamist.  His  teach- 
ers prayed  most  earnestly  with  him  and  for 
him,  nor  did  they  pray  in  vain.  For  some 
time  Dube  was  under  deep  conviction.  He 
experienced  thoroughly  what  divines  in  New 
England,  near  the  beginning  of  the  century, 
called  "law  work."     When  he  decided  to  serve 


Rev.  James  Dube. 


Zulu  Preachers.  173 

God,  it  was  no  halfway  decision.  A  more  com- 
plete transformation  of  character  among  the 
Zulus  I  never  knew.  He  encountered  oppo- 
sition, and  at  that  period  of  our  mission's 
history  it  was  bitter  and  determined.  Satan 
tried  all  his  arts  to  persuade  him  to  return  to 
his  heathen  kraal  and  the  vile  customs  of  his 
people.  All  the  "  glories  "  of  heathenism  were 
set  before  him,  but  in  vain.  His  thirst  for 
knowledge,  especially  that  of  the  Bible,  was 
intense,  and  it  was  a  real  joy  to  guide  his  in- 
quiring mind  in  the  study  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures. For  a  year  or  more  he  studied  under 
Rev.  David  Rood.  He  then  taught  school,  but 
before  Mr.  Lindley  left  Natal  the  last  time, 
Dube  was  unanimously  invited  to  the  pastorate 
of  the  church  of  which  he  was  a  member.  The 
ordination  scene  was  one  I  shall  never  forget. 
The  charge  to  the  pastor  was  given  by  Mr. 
Lindley,  Dube's  spiritual  father;  and  with  tears 
rolling  down  his  cheeks  the  venerable  mission- 
ary remarked :  "  This  is  the  gladdest  day  of 
my  life.  I  never  anticipated  beholding  such 
a  sight  as  this." 

From  the  time  Mr.  Dube  assumed  the  over- 
sight of  the  Lindley  church  till  his  death  he 
labored  with  zeal  and  fidelity.  That  love  of 
money  was  not  one  of  his  besetting  sins  is  evi- 
dent from  the  fact  that  for  years  he  did  not 
take  a  farthing  for  his  services,  saying,  "  My 
people  are  poor,  and  I  can  support  myself." 
Mrs.  Edwards,  who  has  charge  of  the  High 
School  for  Girls  at  Lindley,  could  always  rely 


174  Forty  Years  Amon<i  the  Zulus. 

on  his  lielp  when  needed.  His  love  for  all 
Christian  missionaries,  especially  those  to  whom 
under  God  he  attributed  his  conversion,  was 
marked  and  constant.  In  common  with  his 
friends,  who  said  that  if  their  "  father  and 
mother"  (Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lindley)  must  leave 
tlieni  to  die  and  be  burit'd  in  another  land,  the 
expense  of  their  burial  should  come  upon  their 
children,  he  coiitril)uted  liberally  towards  the 
fund  of  one  hundred  dollars  which  was  sent  to 
America  to  be  held  in  trust  for  that  object. 
As  a  preacher  he  was  earnest  and  persuasive. 
His  imposing  personal  appearance  was  in  his 
favor.  Over  six  feet  in  height,  with  a  body 
synnnetrically  })roportioned,  a  penetrating  eye, 
and  a  voice  easily  heard  in  the  largest  church, 
he  always  made  a  deep  impression  on  his 
hearers. 

I  once  heard  an  English  missionary  from 
Kaffraria  observe,  while  dilating  on  the  elo- 
quence of  a  native  preacher,  "  For  that  man's 
talent  in  pulpit  oratory  I  would  willingly  give 
my  right  arm."  T  never  arrived  at  that  pitch 
of  enthusiasm  while  listening  to  Zulu  ministers, 
but  I  often  wished  that  the  Lord  would  enable 
me  to  proclaim  the  truth  as  eloquently  as  did 
James  Dube. 

The  death  of  this  interesting  man  was  sud- 
den. One  of  his  last  utterances  was,  "Christ 
to  me  is  precious."  When  it  was  announced 
to  the  people  of  his  tribe  that  he  was  dead, 
their  grief  was  profound  and  protracted.  Week 
after   week   natives   were   seen  wending  their 


Zulu  Preachers.  175 

[ 

way,  some  of  them  from  a  long  distance,  to  the 
grave  to  shed  tears  of  sorrow  and  condole  with 
the  bereaved  family.  All  the  members  of  our 
mission  felt  that  we  had  sustained  an  irrepara- 
ble loss. 

Another  Zulu  pastor,  also  deceased,  was  Rev. 
Tra  Adams,  named  thus  after  a  brother  of  his 
teacher,  Rev.  Newton  Adams.  His  mother, 
Umbulazi,  was  the  first  convert  to  Christianity 
among  the  Zulus.  Living  in  the  family  of  the 
missionary  for  ten  years  or  more,  Ira  had  an 
opportunit}^  to  acquire  the  English  language, 
which  he  spoke  with  ease  and  fluency.  For  a 
time  he  engaged  in  the  sugar  enterprise  and 
became  in  part  owner  of  a  mill.  To  an  officer 
of  the  Natal  government  who  congratulated 
him  once  on  his  success,  he  said,  "  Yes ;  it  is  all 
the  result  of  missionary  instruction."  While 
employed  in  secular  pursuits  he  preached 
among  the  kraals  every  Sabbath.  Elected  to 
the  pastorate  of  the  church  at  Adams,  he 
labored  a  few  years,  but  ill  health  obliged  him 
to  move  to  another  part  of  the  colony,  where  he 
died  deeply  regretted. 

The  third  Zulu  pastor,  also  deceased,  was 
Rev.  Umsingapansi,  a  man  of  sterling  v/orth, 
who  was  converted  through  the  instrumentality 
of  Rev.  James  Bryant.  Preaching,  or,  as  he 
expressed  it,  "  taking  up  the  cause  of  God  that 
lay  on  the  ground,"  during  the  temporary 
absence  of  Rev.  William  Ireland,  Mr.  Bryant's  l/ 
successor,  he  continued  his  ministrations  till 
caUed   unanimously   to   the   oversight    of   the 


176  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zidus. 

Ifunii  church.  HLs  death,  after  six  years  nf 
faithful  labor,  was  a  sore  bereavement.  Two 
of  the  four  surviving  pastors  have  not  proved 
a  comfort  and  joy  to  those  who  inducted  them 
into  the  sacred  office.  One,  engaged  in  trading, 
became  involved  in  debt,  left  his  people,  and 
took  up  his  abode  in  the  Zulu  country.  An- 
other, for  immorality  and  apparent  untruth- 
fulness, was  suspended  from  the  ministry,  but 
is  now  living  a  Christian  life. 

These  defections  have  led  missionaries  to  be 
cautious  in  ordaining  Zulu  preachers.  Though 
they  can  talk  eloquently  and  pray  as  if  in- 
spired from  above,  they  do  not  all  possess 
that  moral  backbone  which  is  desirable.  These 
cases  of  lapse,  as  can  be  easily  imagined,  fur- 
nished material  for  skepticism  in  regard  to  the 
results  of  missions.  "See,"  said  some,  "how 
badly  that  native  preacher  has  turned  out ! " 
Missionaries,  of  course,  had  to  come  in  for  a 
share  of  blame.  One  black  sheep  attracted 
more  attention  than  fifty  good  ones.  They 
seemed  to  ignore  the  fact  that  in  civilized  lands 
cases  often  occur  in  which  persons  who  have 
stood  high  in  church  and  society  have  com- 
mitted flagrant  offenses,  while  no  one  thought 
of  blaming  the  clergymen  whose  ministry  they 
attended. 

A  few  specimens  of  addresses  on  different 
occasions  will  show  the  character  of  the  native 
preaching. 

In  1873,  when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lindley  were 
about  to  leave  South  Africa,  after  thirty-eight 


Zulu  Preachers.  177 

years  of  faithful  labor,  there  was  a  gathering 
of  Zulu  converts,  at  which  one  of  them  spoke 
as  follows :  — 

"  Brothers  and  sisters,  we  can  but  weep,  for 
to-day  we  are  but  orphans.  Our  father  and 
mother  are  now  dead  to  us.  Our  hearts  are 
all  too  full  of  grief  for  many  words.  Who 
will  wipe  away  our  tears  now  ?  Who  will  toil 
for  us  as  patiently  and  bear  with  us  in  love  as 
they  did?  .  .  .  Their  leaving  is  caused  only 
by  the  sickness  of  our  mother.  She  can  work 
for  us  no  longer ;  she  has  worked  too  hard. 
Others  will  be  kind  to  them  and  take  care  of 
them,  but  they  will  not  find  any  children  to 
love  them  better  than  we  do.  .  .  . 

"  Let  us  review  the  past  a  little ;  it  will  do 
us  good.  Turn  to  the  old  deserted  home  under 
the  Inanda  Mountain.  There  is  no  spot  to  us 
on  earth  like  that.  There  we  were  boys,  when 
our  father  came  with  his  wagon  and  com- 
menced building  his  house.  There  we  saw 
one  and  then  another  believing  and  building 
on  the  station.  There  we  were  taught  and 
felt  our  hearts  growing  warm  with  love  to  God 
and  to  his  Son.  A  few  weeks  ago  I  rode  past 
that  loved  and  beautiful  place.  My  heart  was 
full  of  old  memories.  I  saw  the  bush  where 
we  went  and  made  our  first  prayer.  We 
hardly  knew  what  made  us  pray.  We  were 
naked,  ignorant  herder  boys.  I  said,  'Who  is 
this  now  riding  on  a  good  horse,  with  a  saddle 
and  bridle?  He  is  well  dressed,  so  that  this 
cold  wind  is  not  felt.     Verily,  it  is  the  same 


178  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

herder  boy !  What  a  contrast !  And  where  is 
he  going?  To  see  his  children,  who  are  in  two 
hirge  boarding  schools,  one  at  Amanzimtote, 
the  other  here  at  Inanda.'  Did  we  in  those 
days,  when  we  knew  not  how  to  hold  a  book,  — 
knew  not  which  side  was  up  or  which  was 
down,  —  think  it  would  be  all  like  this  to-day? 
No ;  really,  no.  Goodness  and  mercy  have  fol- 
lowed us.  See  how  we  have  increased  '  Look 
into  our  houses  ;  see  what  comforts !  Our  cup 
is  running  over.  .  .  . 

"  We  must  now  put  on  the  armor  and  work 
more  earnestly,  for  we  have  to  take  up  our 
father's  work.  May  his  mantle  fall  on  us  !  and 
may  we  salt  our  work  as  he  salted  his  by  a 
blameless  example  !  .  .  . 

"  We  have  come  to  hear  our  father's  last 
words,  and  to  bury  him.  So  we  will  send  the 
money  over  the  sea,  that  others  may  not  bury 
him.  This  is  the  only  way  that  we  can  show 
that  we  are  his  children.  Let  us  henceforth 
live  in  peace  and  love  as  children  in  one  family 
should  do.  It  will  then  prove  that  our  father 
and  mother  did  not  spend  their  lives  in  useless 
work.  Above  all,  let  us  earnestly  pray  that 
we  may  have  tliis  gathering  together  once  more, 
but  not  on  earth.  We  want  it  to  be  in  heaven. 
There  our  tears  will  all  be  wiped  away." 

Another,  while  discoursing  on  the  Bible, 
said :  — 

"  Wise  men  have  made  a  telescope  by  which 
they  can  see  other  suns  and  other  moons  and 
other  stars  —  many  more  than  we  can  see  with 


Zulu  Preachers.  179 

our  eyes.  But  the  greatest  telescope  is  the 
Book  made  by  God.  It  brings  God's  character 
to  our  view.  We  can  see  his  holiness  and 
benevolence.  It  brings  Christ  to  our  view. 
We  hear  his  words ;  he  walks  and  talks  with  us. 
It  is  a  wonderful  telescope  because  it  draws  us 
to  him  and  binds  us  to  him  forever.  It  shows 
us  the  way  to  heaven ;  we  see  its  beauty  and 
brightness  and  joy.  We  see  also  those  great, 
strong  believers  —  old  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,  who  had  faith  to  believe  what  we  call 
improbabilities." 

Said  another,  making  use  of  imagery  familiar 
to  his  hearers  :  — 

"  The  gospel  is  a  great  wagon  laden  with 
salvation.  Christ  told  his  disciples  that  it  is 
to  be  carried  to  all  nations.  Believers  are 
Christ's  oxen  —  the  load  is  to  go  and  be  distrib- 
uted among  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world. 
If  the  oxen  are  lazy,  God  will  take  them  out 
and  put  others  in,  those  that  will  draw.  Who 
of  us  are  drawing  the  gospel  wagon  ?  If  we 
are  not,  we  shall  find  ourselves  left  out,  and 
others  will  be  put  in  our  place.  Turn  not 
away  because  the  wagon  is  heavy.  Pull,  and 
strength  will  be  given  to  you." 

Still  another :  — 

"  What  would  you  think  if  you  should  come 
into  a  house  and  see  a  man  lying  on  his  mat, 
looking  ill,  and  you  should  ask,  '  What  is  the 
matter  ?  '  and  he  replied,  '  Nothing  at  all '  ? 
You  say,  'Tell  me,  that  I  may  help  you. 
Where  is  your  pain ? '     'I  tell  you,  I  am  quite 


180  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

well,'  replies  the  man.  You  beg  him  to  allow 
you  to  send  for  the  doctor,  but  he  refuses. 
Just  so  it  is  with  sinners.  You  see  that  they 
;ue  ill,  and  wish  them  to  send  for  the  Great 
Physician,  but  they  do  not  see  it.  What  shall 
we  think  of  them  ?  " 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

ZULU   CUSTOMS   AND   LAWS. 

rriHE  various  tribes  in  South  Africa  are 
-L  popularly  called  Kaffirs.  Arab  traders, 
who  were  Mohammedans,  gave  them  this  name, 
which  signifies  infidels.^  or  those  who  would  not 
embrace  their  faith.  The  term  "  Zulu  Kaffirs  " 
is  often  used  to  distinguish  the  Amazulu  from 
other  tribes,  or  what  has  been  called  the  Bantu 
race.  This  word  Bantu,  as  Mr.  Stanley  re- 
marks, is  unphilosophical  and  perfectly  mean- 
ingless, as  it  signifies  merely  men,  or  people. 
The  Zulus,  being  a  distinct  nation,  should  go 
by  the  name  of  Zulus,  and  by  no  other. 

Their  ethnology  does  not  furnish  data  suffi- 
cient to  allow  us  to  speak  with  certainty  as 
to  their  origin.  That  they  differ  from  the 
Demarara  and  other  tribes  in  Southwestern 
Africa,  and  from  the  Hottentots  near  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  we  have  abundant  proof.  With 
the  latter  there  is  not  the  least  natural  affinity, 
although  a  few  Hottentot  clicks  appear  in  the 
Zulu  as  well  as  in  some  other  South  African 
languages. 

A  tribe  of  cannibals  called  Amazitu,  living 
on  Lake  Tanganyika,  from  the  description 
given  by  explorers,  appear  to  be  pure  Zulus. 
Their  dialect  is   the  same   that   is   spoken   in 

181 


182  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

Zululand.  Mr.  Stanley's  "  In  Darkest  Africa  " 
speaks  of  being  "  in  the  presence  of  twin 
brotliers  of  Zululand,  tall,  warlike  creatures 
with  Caucasian  heads  and  faces,"  in  a  district 
called  Uhha,  but  he  does  not  tell  us  what 
language  they  speakJ  In  the  vocabularies  of 
Schweinfnrth,  Cameron,  and  other  travelers, 
unmistakable  Zulu  words  appear,  which  tend 
to  show  that  the  maritime  Zulus  in  the  south, 
and  other  tribes  at  the  north,  may  have  had 
a  common  origin,  but  where  their  primeval 
home  was  we  cannot  tell.  Some  of  their 
customs  are  quite  Jewish  ;  as,  for  instance,  the 
practice  oi  circumcision,  and,  till  a  late  date, 
rejection  of  swine's  llesh ;  the  fear  to  step  on 
a  newly-made  grave  lest  they  contract  a 
disease  of  the  feet;  the  custom  of  widows 
marrying  the  brothers  of  their  former  hus- 
bands ;  the  naming  of  children  after  some 
circumstance  connected  with  their  birth;  their 
sacrifical  offerings ;  the  observance  of  the  feast 
of  firstfruits  ;  the  purchase  of  wives ;  the  cere- 
mony of   attaching  to  a   cock   the  diseases  of 

'  In  a  recent  interview  between  Rev.  George  Wililer,  missionary 
to  the  Zulus,  an<l  Mr.  Stanley,  the  latter  related  that  he  had  in  his 
jjarty  a  Zulu  woman  from  Natal  who  was  ahle  to  converse  with  the 
Waliunia,  a  trilic  living  near  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon.  They 
sai<l;  "This  woman  is  one  of  our  people;  where  ilid  she  come 
from?"  Not  only  in  language,  but  in  customs,  those  people  re- 
semble the  Zulus.  The  Abangoni,  living  on  Lake  Nyasa,  are  aUo 
Zulus.  The  Zulu  dialect  is  the  court  language  oC  Manica  country, 
under  the  chief  I'ngungunhama,  son  of  Umzila.  This  is  the  aurifer- 
ous region  which  has  been  under  dispute  between  the  Portuguese 
and  the  British  South  Africa  Company.  The  Matabele  are,  it  is  well 
known,  pure  Zulus.  There  Is  an  evident  kinsliip  between  tribes 
living  all  the  way  along  from  Natal  to  AUicrt  Nyanza,  so  that  one 
understanding  thoroughly  the  Zulu  tongue  lias  a  key  by  which  to 
unlock  the  various  dialects  spoken  in  Eastern  Africa. 


Zulu  Customs  and  Laws.  183 

the  people,  and  sending  it  by  a  fit  person  into 
the  wilderness,  like  the  Jewish  scapegoat ; 
the  punishment  of  the  slayer  of  a  king  with 
death  ;  the  cursing  of  an  enemy  before  going 
to  war;  the  custom  in  the  kraals  of  having 
water  poured  on  their  hands  after  a  meal  by 
servants ;  the  eating  with  a  spoon  from  one 
dish  ;  the  sprinkling  of  the  doorway  of  a  hut 
with  medicinal  water  to  keep  away  disease ; 
the  piling  up  of  memorial  stones,  etc. 

They  have  also  traditions  of  events  that 
happened  in  the  earliest  days  of  which  we 
have  record,  and  Zulu  Christians  often  exclaim, 
"  We  understand  the  Old  Testament  better 
than  the  New ;  it  describes  so  perfectly  our 
home  life  ! " 

There  are  some  who  locate  the  Ophir  ^  of  the 
Bible  in  Southeastern  Africa,  maintaining  that 
certain  ruins  discovered  by  Mauch,  the  Ger- 
man traveler,  in  latitude  20°,  not  far  from  Port 
Sofala,  are  the  veritable  "  Solomon's  mines." 
But  thus  far  no  satisfactory  proof  has  been 
adduced  that  they  are  anything  more  than  the 
ruins  of  old  Portuguese  forts. 

The  number  of  aboriginal  Zulus  in  Natal  is 

'  All  English  arclireologist  has  lately  gone  to  Mashonalaiul  for  the 
purpose  of  removing  the  di^bris  that  lia.s  aceuniulated  for  centuries 
over  those  ancient  ruins  at  Zimbabye,  and  in  case  he  finds  Pha?iiidan 
inscriptions  he  may  solve  the  question,  "Are  Rider  Haggard's 
Solomon's  Mines  anything  more  than  a  myth?  "  The  Portuguese, 
when  asked,  "Who  built  those  forts?"  invariably  reply,"  Solomon's 
diggers."  A  Norwegian  missionary  who  has  lately  visited  that 
region  observes,  "  I  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  this  whole 
coast  land  called  Sofala  is  the  old  Ophir,  called  in  the  Septuagint 
Sophira  and  Sophara,  which  seems  to  derive  its  origin  from  the 
Bantu  Is-ophira,  or  weakened  through  the  African  pronuuciation 
(of  r  as  0 » Isof ala  or  Sofalft." 


184  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

now  estimated  at  four  hundred  and  fifty-six. 
thousand,^  most  of  them  being  refugees  from 
Zuliiland,  where  they  were  in  danger  of  be- 
ing accused  of  witchcraft  and  put  to  death. 
Under  the  wing  of  British  power  they  feel 
secure  and  happy  and  increase  rapidly.  They 
are  divided  into  clans,  each  being  amenable  to 
colonial  authority.  Tribal  feuds  and  jealousies, 
sometimes  resulting  in  "faction  fights,"  which 
Iiave  to  be  put  down  by  the  strong  hand  of  law, 
have  proved  for  half  a  century,  and  are  still,  a 
safeguard  against  combination  in  opposition  to 
the  English. 

Under  purely  native  law  the  land  belongs  to 
the  sovereign.  He  is  monarch  of  all  he  sur- 
veys. His  will  is  supreme.  He  can  "  eat  up," 
that  is,  take  away,  a  man's  property  and  his  life 
if  he  choose.  Careful  to  see  that  none  of  his 
people  becomes  wealthy,  he  helps  himself  freely 
to  their  Hocks.  There  are  some  laws,  however, 
made  by  the  national  council  of  leading  men, 
to  which  even  ho,  it  is  said,  is  subject.  It  is 
his  business  to  see  that  they  are  executed. 
The  eldest  son  of  his  first  wife  is  considered 
the  rightful  heir  to  the  throne.  The  Zulus 
cherish  and  manifest  a  deep  respect  for  those 
who  have  royal  blood  in  their  veins.  A  re- 
markable instance  of  heroic  devotion  to  an 
hereditary  chief  is  said  to  have  occurred  in 
Natal  some  years  ago,  which  is  thus  told :  — 

"  A  case  of  succession  to  the  chieftainship  of 

'  This  estimate  is  based  on  the  total  number  of  huts  In  the  colony. 
The  last  census  gives  the  white  population  at  44,415, 


Zulu  Customs  mid  Laws.  185 

one  of  the  tribes  was  decided  before  the  local 
magistrate,  and  the  hearing  of  the  case  was 
attended  by  numerous  adherents  of  the  rival 
claimants.  After  the  decision,  as  the  chiefs 
were  returning  homeward,  the  beaten  party 
was  suddenly  overtaken  by  a  grass  fire,  where- 
by thirteen  of  their  number  were  destroyed. 
The  young  claimant  to  the  chieftainship  would 
have  shared  their  fate  had  not  one  of  his  fol- 
lowers made  him  lie  down  on  the  ground,  and 
covering  him  with  his  own  body  as  a  protection 
against  the  flames,  he  deliberately  allowed  him- 
self to  be  burned  to  death,  thus  sacrificing  his 
own  life  to  save  that  of  one  whom  he  believed 
to  be  his  legitimate  chieftain." 

Though  the  natives  are  poor  in  comparison 
with  Europeans,  and  are  obliged  to  work  for 
the  wherewithal  to  supply  their  wants,  a  feeling 
of  independence  is  an  inherited  trait.  To  per- 
suade them  to  bind  themselves  for  a  year  or 
longer  to  a  white  man  is  somewhat  difficult. 
The  reason  is,  when  harvest  comes,  singing, 
dancing,  marriage  feasts,  and  other  joyful 
events  take  place  at  their  kraals,  and  they  must 
be  there  to  participate  in  them.  Just  when  the 
crop  of  sugar  cane  needs  cutting  and  carting 
to  the  mill,  Zulu  lads  often  say  to  the  planter, 
'"•  Our  presence  is  required  at  home."  Zulu 
lads,  however,  in  considerable  numl)ers,  attach 
themselves  to  their  employers  and  make  reliable 
servants. 

That  the  traffic  in  tea,  sugar,  and  other  com- 
modities in  wliich  Europeans  are  engaged  may 


186  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

not  suffer,  coolies  are  imported  from  India  at 
an  expense  of  X28  per  head,  the  importer 
paying  X20  and  the  colonial  government  the 
balance.  After  five  years  of  service  they  can 
return  home  passage  free,  or  remain,  which 
many  prefer  to  do.  Between  thirty  thousand 
and  forty  thousand  are  now  in  the  colony.  As 
a  rule  they  are  thrifty  and  industrious,  and 
monopolize  the  trade  of  market  gardening.  I 
regiet  to  say  that  there  is  no  law  prohibiting 
them  from  purchasing  ardent  spirits,  and  intem- 
perance is  their  principal  vice.  They  are 
sometimes  detected  in  selling  rum  secretly  to 
the  natives  in  their  kraals. 

Arabs  from  Zanzibar  and  Bombay  are  also 
finding  South  Africa  a  fine  field  for  enterprise, 
and  there  is  scarcely  a  town  or  village  in 
which  their  stores  are  not  seen.  Indeed  the 
retail  trade  in  native  goods  is  almost  wholly  in 
their  hands,  to  the  chagrin  and  grief  of  Euro- 
pean merchants.  Both  Arabs  and  Indians  are 
regarded  by  many  as  a  curse,  but  how  to  get 
rid  of  them  is  a  question.  Thus  there  will  be 
an  Asiatic  as  well  as  African  problem  to  be 
settled  some  day  in  that  part  of  the  world. 

The  Zulus  were  once  reduced  to  starvation 
and  cannibalism  in  consequence  of  the  raids 
of  Chaka's  army  through  the  country.  An 
incident  is  related  of  a  lad  who  was  taken 
prisoner  but  escaped  in  a  clever  manner.  The 
cannibals,  seeing  a  saucer-shaped  eartlien  vessel, 
told  the  lad  to  carry  it,  remarking,  "  That  will 
make  a  lid  for  the  pot  in  which  you  are  to  be 


Z^ilu  Customs  and  Latos.  18T 

boiled."  Coming  to  a  lake  full  of  sea  cows, 
the  boy,  concluding  that  the  companionship 
of  those  animals  was  preferable  to  that  of 
cannibals,  made  a  rush  into  the  water  amid  a 
shower  of  spears,  none  of  which  touched  him, 
dove  and  swam  till  he  came  to  some  reeds, 
among  which  he  concealed  himself,  thus  elud- 
ing search.  He  was  near  enough,  however,  to 
hear  one  of  them  say,  "  He  was  the  fattest  of 
the  lot."  That  Zulu  is  now  living  and  is  about 
ninety  years  of  age. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

ZULU  chai;a<tki;istics. 

TN  bodily  strength  Zulus  surpass  the  Indian 
and  average  European.  The  heavy  bur- 
dens they  carry  often  attract  attention.  An 
Englishman,  seeing  a  woman  about  to  raise  to 
her  head  a  load  which  he  felt  sure  he  could 
not  lift,  said,  "  You  don't  think  you  can  carry 
that,  do  you?  "  She  replied,  "Were  I  a  man  I 
could  not,  but  I  am  a  woman.'  I  have  watched 
gangs  of  iifty  or  more  young  men  carrying  on 
their  backs  huge  sacks  of  acacia  bark,  weighing 
not  far  from  two  hundred  pounds,  and  rolling 
them  into  the  hold  of  a  steamship,  apparently 
not  suffering  in  the  least  from  the  effort. 

For  swiftness  in  running,  as  well  as  power 
of  endurance,  tliey  are  remarkable.  For  years 
men  were  employed  by  the  Natal  government 
to  transport  ponderous  mail  bags  from  the  sea- 
port to  the  colonial  capital,  a  distance  of  fifty 
miles.  Leaving  at  sundown,  they  might  be 
seen  the  next  morning  on  the  steps  of  the 
post  olhce,  bright  and  happy,  and  ready,  after  a 
few  hours'  rest,  to  return  with  the  same  speed. 
They  travel  with  bare  feet,  and  their  soles, 
being  thickened  by  constant  use  over  rough 
roads,  possess  emphatically  a  pecuniary  advan- 
tage over  leather. 


Zulu  Characteristics.  189 

In  good  health,  the  result  of  simple  food  and 
moderate  exercise,  the  natives  are  proof  against 
a  multitude  of  ills  incident  to  a  state  of  civili- 
zation. It  is  said  that  two  girls  were  once  taken 
from  a  heap  of  dead  bodies  after  a  bloody 
battle,  one  having  twenty,  the  other  nineteen 
spear  wounds,  and  both  recovered.  I  once 
hud  a  boy  in  my  employ,  through  whose  body 
a  spear  had  been  thrust,  and  though  not  as 
strong  as  many,  he  performed  a  considerable 
amount  of  labor.  Several  times  I  was  called 
to  take  out  pieces  of  skull  that  had  been 
broken  by  knob-kerries  in  a  quarrelsome  beer 
drink,  and  the  wounded  places  healed  after  a 
short  time.  Rarely  did  we  see  cases  of  deform- 
ity, contracted  chests,  weak  spines,  or  bent 
shoulders. 

In  contrasting  Zulus  with  American  negroes 
I  perceive  a  marked  difference.  The  former, 
as  a  race,  are  taller  and  more  muscular,  with 
loftier  foreheads,  higher  cheekbones,  and  a 
pleasanter  expression  of  countenance.  Their 
lips  are  not  so  thick,  nor  are  their  noses  so 
flat.  In  color  some  of  them  bear  a  striking 
resemblance,  but  among  the  Zulus,  Arabic  fea- 
tures, not  seen  in  other  dark-skinned  African 
races,  are  occasionally  distinguishable. 

At  their  homes  the  men  are  neat  and  tidy,  in 
their  way,  bathing  frequently,  washing  their 
hands  after  every  meal  and  before  milking. 
They  invariably  rinse  their  teeth  after  eating, 
which  accounts  for  their  clean,  ivory-like  ap- 
pearance.    Having  good    appetites,  they  often 


1 00  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 


gorge  themselves  like  pythons.  Barrow,  an 
African  traveler,  tells  us  of  an  ox  being  eaten 
by  ten  Zulus,  "all  hut  the  hind  legs,  in  three 
days."' 

This  is  a  mild  statement.  In  several  in- 
stances wlien  I  knew  an  ox  had  been  killed  in  the 
morning,  I  have  tried  to  get  a  piece  of  beef  in 
the  afternoon,  and  have  been  horrified  to  learn 
that  a  small  party  of  natives  had  eaten  all  but 
the  head  and  hoofs.  A  pioneer  missionaiy  to 
Zululand  once  wrote  that  five  or  six  of  his 
servants  began  to  eat  a  good-sized  pig  at  even- 
ing, and  before  they  slei)t  the  largest  part  of  it 
was  devoured. 

The  mode  of  cooking  is  simple.  A  long 
piece  of  meat  is  fastened  to  a  sharp-pointed 
stick,  placed  u])on  tlie  fire,  and  when  sufticicntly 
roasted  one  takes  his  knife,  cuts  off  a  large 
mouthful,  and  passes  it  on  to  his  neighbor,  and 
he  to  another.  This  operation  is  repeated  till 
all  are  served.  They  eat  some  parts  of  an  ox 
raw,  seizing  them  as  soon  as  it  is  killed. 

In  their  intercouise  with  one  another  the 
Zulus  have  a  well-defined  code  of  politeness. 
On  meeting,  their  salutation  is  "  Sa  ku  honum 
vfjani(\  see  you)."  The  question  then  follows, 
''  Ulihzi  kalile  na  (Are  you  well)  ? "  then  the 
snuffbox,  the  token  of  friendship  as  well  as  sine 
(/iia  non  of  comfort,  is  passed  round.  No  Zulu  is 
allowed  to  go  out  of  a  hut  back  first.  In  igno- 
rance of  this,  I  once  crept  out  of  a  chief's 
dwelling  in  that  way.  He  inuncdiately  called 
me  back,  saying,  "  Were  you  not  a  white  man 


Zulu  Characteristics.  Idl 

who  knows  no  better  manners,  I  would  fine  you 
for  this  breach  of  etiquette." 

They  have  a  curious  custom  called  uhuhlon- 
ipa  (shame).  In  accordance  with  it,  the  wife 
never  calls  her  husband  by  his  proper  name, 
but,  if  he  has  a  son,  always  the  father  of  that  son. 
A  wife  carefully  avoids  uttering  any  word  occur- 
ring in  the  names  of  the  principal  members  of 
her  husband's  family.  For  instance,  if  she  has 
a  brother-in-law  named  Unkomo,  she  will  not 
use  the  word  inJcomo,  meaning  a  cow,  but  some 
other.  Formerly  a  native  would  not  use  a  word 
similar  to  the  name  of  a  king,  for  fear  of  losing 
his  life.  For  example,  impande  means  the  root 
of  a  tree.  This  is  so  much  like  Umpande,  the 
name  of  the  late  Zulu  sovereign,  that  no  one 
ventured  to  use  it.  The  newly  married  hus- 
band is  careful  to  avoid  looking  at  his  mother- 
in-law,  and  should  she  be  coming  toward  him 
he  always  takes  another  path  or  conceals  himself 
in  a  cluster  of  bushes.  No  Zulu  is  permitted 
to  marry  a  blood  relation.  Like  the  Jews,  a 
man  is  expected  to  take  the  widow  of  a  de- 
ceased brother ;  but  to  marry  a  cousin  is  to 
t  hem  most  reprehensible. 

Confidence  placed  in  Zulu  servants  is  seldom 
betrayed.  Thieving  is  not  one  of  their  charac- 
teristics. Small  bodies  of  men  are  employed 
yearly  in  transporting  bags  of  gold  and  silver 
from  the  magistrate's  tent,  Avhere  tlie  hut  tax 
has  been  collected,  twenty  miles  or  more  from  a 
European  village,  and  I  have  never  heard  that 
a  shilling  has  been  stolen.     For  the  first  thirty 


19^  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

years  of  my  residence  among  them  I  never 
considered  it  necessary  to  fasten  a  door  or  win- 
dow, for  fear  of  burglars  or  thieves.  Missing 
an  axe,  while  building  my  bouse  in  1850,  I  sus- 
pected a  native  who  was  working  with  me,  but 
in  taking  up  the  iloor  of  my  dining  room  two 
years  after  I  found  the  missing  article.  The 
absence  of  pilfering  among  the  Zulus  I  attribute 
to  the  rigid  hiws  of  the  country  from  which 
they  came,  for  in  Zululand  theft  has  from  time 
immemorial  been  punishable  with  death.  When 
Dingaan  was  on  the  throne,  Rev.  Aldin  Grout 
took  into  his  country  a  load  of  household  goods, 
and  wishing  to  leave  them  there  while  he  re- 
turned to  Natal  for  another  load,  he  said  to  the 
headman  of  a  kraal :  "  Please  see,  while  I  am 
gone,  that  none  of  my  tilings  are  stolen." 
"  Stolen  ! "  said  the  man.  "  Where  did  you 
come  from,  that  you  make  such  a  request?  We 
have  law  here.""  A  Zulu  was  once  asked  by  a 
trader  whether  a  parcel  of  beads  could  be 
deposited  with  safety  in  a  certain  unprotected 
place,  and  received  this  answer :  "  If  a  man 
steals  in  Zululand,  he  eats  no  more  corn." 
Travelers  who  by  mistake  left  articles  in  a 
kraal  generally  found  Zulus  running  after 
them  to  deliver  them  up. 

I  regret  to  say  that  a  change  has  taken  place 
in  this  respect.  With  the  influx  of  foreigners 
intemperance  has  increased,  with  its  attendant 
evils,  and  property  is  not  so  safe  as  formerly. 
Thanks  however  to  the  stringent  ])rohibitory 
laws  in  Natal,  the  sad  spectacle  is  not  witnessed 


Zulu  Characteristics.  193 

of  natives  lying  about  in  a  state  of  intoxica- 
tion, as  is  said  to  be  the  case  in  Cape  Town  and 
Kimberly.  But  grave  fears  are  entertained  that 
the  young  Natal  Zulus,  who  go  to  the  gold 
fields  in  the  Transvaal,  will  return  to  their 
homes  demoralized  by  rum-drinking  habits. 

A  love  of  fun  is  a  prominent  Zulu  character- 
istic. They  frequently  crack  jokes  of  a  practi- 
cal nature.  Some  raw  natives  from  Zululand 
were  about  to  visit  their  relatives,  who  were 
working  for  a  sugar  planter  in  the  colony.  The 
latter,  desiring  a  little  fun,  met  the  newcomers 
a  short  distance  from  the  planter's  house,  and 
said  to  them,  '^  Our  master  is  a  great  king.  You 
must  approach  him  on  your  hands  and  knees, 
just  as  you  do  Umpande,  and  salute  him  with 
high-sounding  titles."  They  carried  out  the 
program  faithfully,  to  the  great  amusement  of 
the  white  man  as  well  as  to  that  of  the  joke 
players. 

A  Zulu  lad,  once  seeing  a  woman  with  a 
pumpkin  on  her  head,  came  up  suddenly  and 
inquired,  apparently  in  great  terror,  "  What 's 
that  on  your  head  ?"  Thinking  it  might  be  a 
snake,  she  let  the  pumpkin  fall,  whereupon  the 
roguish  boy  picked  it  up  and  ran  away.^ 

I  once  "  April  fooled  "  a  good-natured  wagon 
driver  as  we  were  on  a  journey.  A  few  hours 
afterwards  he  asked  me  how  we  should  cross  a 
river  which  we  were  approaching.  "  By  the 
bridge,  of  course,"  I  replied.  "  But,"  said  he, 
"have  you  not  heard  that  the  bridge  was  car- 

*Wood'a  Uncivilized  Kaces. 


194  Fortij  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

ried  away  in  a  late  flood  ?  "  "  No,"  I  replied 
in  an  anxious  tone.  "Nor  have  I,"  said  he, 
Lis  eyes  twinkling  with  fun. 

A  more  gregarious  and  social  people  it  is 
difficult  to  find.  The  young  men  dislike  to  eat 
alone.  Rather  than  do  so  they  prefer  to  half 
starve  themselves.  When  out  at  service,  and 
the  economical  mistress  has  measured  out  just 
enough  Indian  meal  for  their  own  mush,  if  a 
friend  steps  in  at  the  time  of  eating,  a  spoon  is 
immediately  handed  to  him,  and  the  mush  dis- 
appears frecjuently  before  they  have  made  "  a 
good  square  meal." 

A  few  natives  raise  tobacco  in  their  kraals, 
but  the  majority  refuse  to  do  so,  saying,  "  We 
would  cultivate  it  if  our  neighbors  did,  but 
they  are  too  lazy.  It  is  therefore  of  no  use  for 
us  to  plant  it,  because  they  would  come  and 
finish  it  at  once."  This  disinclines  them  to 
make  efforts  for  the  supply  of  their  own  wants. 
Industry  and  forethought  are  not  Zulu  traits, 
at  least  not  of  the  men.  A  Zulu  may  be  often 
heard  saying  to  the  Indian  coolies,  thin,  hag- 
gard, hard-working  people,  "  Why  do  you  toil 
so  ?  You  are  worse  than  white  men.  Look  at 
me.  See  how  easily  I  take  life.,  I  only  work 
till  I  have  bought  a  wife,  and  then  she  works 
for  me ! " 

Some  have  said,  "  Zulus  have  no  gratitude." 
It  is  a  great  mistake.  Many  instances  might 
be  related  in  which  a  thankful  spirit  has  been 
manifested,  and  gifts  bestowed  for  favors  re- 
ceived.    Sympathy   for    neighljors   in   trouble, 


Zulu  Characteristics.  195 

especially  the  sick  or  bereaved,  is  a  marked 
characteristic.  Work,  however  important,  is 
at  once  suspended  that  they  may  help  their 
afflicted  friends.  Tears  that  roll  down  their 
cheeks  as  they  stand  around  the  grave  of  a 
beloved  missionary  belie  the  statement  that 
the  "natives  have  no  feeling."  Their  affections 
are  tender,  and  it  is  pleasant  to  see  how  the 
men  fondle  and  nurse  young  children.  It  is 
only  the  war  passion  that  excites  them  beyond 
all  control.  It  has  been  remarked  that  "  after 
living  a  long  time  with  Europeans  they  become 
sour  and  morose."  I  have  not  seen  that  effect 
produced.  On  the  contrary,  servants  of  long 
standing  have  appeared  to  me  remarkably 
cheerful. 

In  debate,  of  which  they  are  very  fond,  they 
often  show  remarkable  skill.  In  arguing  a  case 
they  will  split  hairs  equal  to  a  Philadelphia 
lawyer.  It  is  interesting  to  listen  to  their 
arguments,  which  roll  out  with  amazing  volu- 
bility and  ease.  They  generally  assemble  under 
a  large  tree,  forming  a  semicircle,  the  chief  or 
judge  sitting  in  front.  While  one  is  speaking, 
others  observe  silence,  awaiting  their  turn  with 
patience.  They  commence  slowly  and  deliber- 
ately, but  as  they  warm  with  the  subject  they 
rise  from  the  ground,  snap  their  fingers,  raise 
the  voice  to  the  highest  pitch,  and  become  fear- 
fully excited.  All  join  in  the  discussion,  and 
from  the  babel  of  voices  a  stranger  would  think 
that  a  fight  was  inevitable.  After  the  case  has 
been  settled,  the  decision  is  generally  accepted 


196  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

by  both  parties  as  final,  the  loser,  not  vindic- 
tive, quietly  going  to  his  home ;  and  if  he  meet 
his  rival  the  next  day,  stopping  to  snuff  and 
chat  with  him  as  if  nothing  unpleasant  had 
occurred. 

An  amusing  example  is  thus  related,  in 
Wood's  Uncivilized  Races,  of  a  cross-examina- 
tion at  a  Zulu  trial:  — 

"  Some  natives  had  been  detected  in  eating 
an  ox,  and  the  owner  brought  them  before  a 
council,  demanding  punishment.  Their  defense 
was  that  they  had  not  killed  the  animal,  but 
found  it  dying  from  a  wound  inflicted  by 
another  ox,  and  so  had  considered  it  fair  spoil. 
When  the  defense  had  been  completed  an  old 
Zulu  began  to  examine  the  various  speakers, 
and  as  usual  commenced  with  a  question  appar- 
ently wide  of  the  subject. 

"  ^  Does  an  ox  tail  grow  up,  down,  or  side- 
ways ? ' 

" '  Downward.' 

" '  Do  its  horns  grow  up,  down,  or  sideways? ' 

"'Up.' 

" '  If  an  ox  gores  another,  does  he  not  lower 
his  head  and  gore  upward  ? ' 

" '  Yes.' 

"'Could  he  not  gore  downward?' 

"'No.' 

"The  wily  interrogator  then  forced  the  un- 
willing witness  to  examine  the  wound,  which 
he  asserted  to  have  been  made  by  the  horn  of 
another  ox,  and  to  admit  that  the  slain  beast 
had  been  stabbed,  not  gored." 


Zulu  Characteristics.  197 

That  low  cunning  and  deceit  are  often  prac- 
ticed among  them  as  among  other  uncivilized 
races,  we  have  painful  evidence;  but,  as  one 
truthfully  observes,  "The  wonder  is  not  that 
these  evils  and  perversions  exist,  but  that,  in 
the  absence  for  ages  of  all  revealed  truth  and 
all  proper  religious  instruction,  there  should 
still  remain  so  much  of  mental  integrity,  so 
much  ability  to  discern  truth  and  justice,  and 
withal  so  much  regard  for  these  principles  in 
their  daily  intercourse  with  one  another." 

Before  the  advent  of  Europeans  with  the 
arts  of  civilization  considerable  ingenuity  was 
displayed  in  manufacturing  spears,  hoes,  or 
picks  from  iron  mined  out  of  their  own  soil. 
Their  forges  and  anvils  were  of  the  crudest 
description,  but  they  managed  to  do  their  work 
creditably.  They  also  made  rings  from  an 
amalgam  of  copper  and  iron.  Their  dishes  for 
cooking,  carrying  water  or  beer,  baskets,  and 
beer-strainers,  milkpails,  wooden  pillows,  spoons, 
etc.,  show  considerable  skill.  In  making  skins 
soft  and  pliable  they  are  quite  equal  to  furriers 
in  civilized  lands.  In  the  medical  art  some  of 
them  are  skilled  in  healing  certain  diseases  by 
the  use  of  roots  and  herbs  which  abound  in  the 
country. 

They  have  an  ingenious  process  for  making  a 
fire.  A  dry  reed  is  taken  about  six  inches  long, 
a  notch  cut  near  the  middle,  in  which  is  rotated 
between  the  palms  of  the  hands  a  small  hard 
stick.  One  is  reminded  of  a  carpenter's  drill. 
Soon  the  hot  ashes  appear,  from  which  a  flame 
is  secured. 


198  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

Zulu  lads  acquire  the  industrial  arts  with 
facility.  In  blacksniithing,  shoemaking,  wagon- 
making,  and  printing,  they  can  cumpete  witli 
white  men  if  properly  trained.  I  had  a  native 
printer  who  composed  with  rapidity,  and  printed 
a  news[)aper  in  the  Zulu  language.  He  was 
also  a  bookbinder.  In  learning  to  read,  the 
children  are  quite  as  apt  as  the  whites.  In 
vocal  music,  some  of  them  are  quite  proficient. 
In  mental  and  physical  ability  they  do  not  seem 
to  be  inferior  to  the  Anglo-Saxon  race.  As 
civilizing  agencies  have  enlightened  other  tribes, 
the  same  agencies,  if  faithfully  applied,  will  raise 
the  Zulus,  also,  to  a  like  state  of  advancement. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

ZULU    WEDDINGS    AND    FUNERALS. 

THE  natives  look  forward  to  a  marriage 
occasion  with  joy,  for  it  is  a  time  to 
revel  in  dancing  and  feasting.  If  in  high  life, 
the  greater  the  glee,  the  greater  the  quantity  of 
beef  to  be  consumed,  the  lai'ger  the  potations  of 
beer.  A  king's  wedding  generally  lasts  six  or 
seven  days.  Being  present  at  the  marriage  of 
Cetywayo,  the  late  Zulu  chief,  when  he  took  to 
himself  his  fifteenth  wife,  the  excitement  I 
witnessed  was  almost  beyond  bounds.  Specta- 
tors, quite  a  thousand  in  number,  sat  on  the 
ground  (for  there  were  no  seats),  looking  at 
the  five  hundred  or  more  men  and  women  en- 
gaged in  their  tumultuous  dance,  and  appeared 
to  be  thoroughly  fascinated.  After  fifteen  min- 
utes I  should  have  left,  had  I  not  made  an 
engagement  to  meet  his  sable  majesty  at  the 
close  of  the  ceremony.  On  this  occasion  the 
bride,  for  some  reason  or  other,  was  seated  by 
lierself,  but  the  fourteen  wives  were  together, 
directly  in  front  of  a  brother  missionary  and 
myself.  The  obesity  of  these  African  queens 
attracted  our  attention.  We  estimated  that 
each  would  weigh  at  least  two  hundred  pounds. 
Such  an  amount  of  avoirdupois  in  human  flesh, 
possessed  by  one  man,  I  never  before  witnessed. 

199 


200  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

I  was  told  tliat  they  did  little  or  no  work,  ate 
an  enormous  quantity  of  beef,  and  drank  as 
much  beer  as  they  could.  As  the  hot  sun 
began  to  beat  down  on  my  head,  I  lifted  up  my 
umbrella  for  shade,  when  one  of  the  king's 
wives  requested  the  use  of  it  for  a  short  time. 
I  complied,  but  when  I  politely  called  for  it, 
she  refused  to  give  it  up.  Now  was  my  time 
to  give  an  African  queen  a  lecture  on  polite- 
ness, which  was  not  witliout  effect,  for  the 
umbrella  was  soon  returned. 

Cetywayo,  the  leader  in  the  dance,  was 
dressed  like  the  majority  of  the  men,  with  skins 
of  wild  animals  about  his  loins,  and  the  only 
way  I  could  distinguish  him  from  others  was 
by  a  long  feather  stuck  to  the  gutta-percha-like 
ring  on  his  head.  That  feather  is  used  only  by 
royalty  on  marriage  occasions.  The  dance,  if 
such  it  can  be  called,  was  one  of  the  noisiest 
demonstrations  conceivable,  consisting  simply 
in  stamping  the  ground  forcibly,  swinging  the 
hands  up  and  down,  chanting  a  vai'iety  of  tunes, 
shouting  and  screaming,  howling  and  yelling, 
the  perspiration  dropping  like  rain  from  the 
half-nude  bodies. 

When  at  the  greatest  pitch  of  excitement, 
I  remarked  to  my  companion,  "  If  these  Zulus 
ever  come  into  collision  with  British  authority, 
and  display  the  same  enthusiasm  in  war  as  they 
do  on  this  festive  occasion,  they  will  prove  no 
despicable  foe."  In  the  "  Zulu  war,"  some  years 
after,  they  fought  like  tigers. 

Now  that  Zulu  girls  under  English  protec- 


Zulu  Weddings  and  Funerals.  201 

tion  are  not  obliged  to  marry,  nolens  volens,  they 
enjoy  a  privilege  which  some  in  more  civilized 
countries  might  regard  as  advantageous,  that  of 
"  popping  ^1^6  question,"  or  selecting  husbands 
from  among  the  old  or  young  men,  according  to 
their  fancy.  Every  year  with  them  is  "  leap 
year."  They  sometimes  choose  those  who  are 
not  inclined  to  reciprocate  their  affection,  but, 
nothing  daunted,  they  persevere  until  they 
succeed.  In  Wood's  Uncivilized  Races  we 
read  of  a  Zulu  girl  who  fell  ardently  in  love 
with  a  young  chief  as  he  was  displaying  liis 
agility  in  a  dance.  "  He  did  not  know  her,  and 
was  rather  surprised  when  she  presented  herself 
at  his  kraal  and  avowed  the  state  of  her  affec- 
tions. He,  however,  did  not  return  them,  and 
as  the  girl  refused  to  leave,  he  was  obliged  to 
send  for  her  brother,  who  removed  her  by  force. 
She  soon  made  her  way  back  again,  and  this 
time  was  severely  beaten  for  her  pertinacity. 
The  stripes  had  no  effect  on  her,  and  in  less 
than  a  week  she  again  presented  herself.  Find- 
ing that  his  sister  was  so  determined,  the 
brother  suggested  that  the  too  fascinating  chief 
had  better  marry  the  girl  and  so  end  the  dis- 
pute, and  the  result  was  that  at  last  she  gained 
her  point,  the  needful  cows  were  paid  and  the 
marriage  took  place." 

Zulu  courtship  often  goes  on  for  some  time 
withput  the  knowledge  of  the  parents.  The 
girls  are  not  in  a  hurry  to  be  married,  knowing 
well  that  the  happiest  period  of  their  life  is 
that  of  their  youth.     Many  of  them,  however, 


202  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

are  mere  flirts.  When  fifteen  or  sixteen  years 
old,  their  fathers,  liankering  for  cattle,  begin  to 
chide,  saying,  "  Is  it  not  time  you  were  mar- 
ried? This  flirtation  must  come  to  an  end." 
Finding  that  her  father  and  brothers  are  seek- 
ing some  one  to  recommend  to  her  as  a  husband, 
she  suddenly  disappears,  having  hied  away  to 
her  lover's  kraal.  In  case  the  parents  have  no 
objection  to  the  family,  and  they  are  sure  that 
within  a  reasonable  time  the  required  cattle  for 
payment  will  be  forthcoming,  they  do  not  inter- 
fere, knowing  that  initiatory  steps  for  the  mar- 
riage will  follow.  In  a  day  or  two  there  appear 
at  the  home  of  the  future  bride  a  part}'  of  men 
driving  two  or  three  cows.  They  have  come  to 
negotiate  for  the  proposed  union.  The  usual 
friendly  custom  of  taking  snuff  is  gone  through 
with,  the  bargain  is  ratified,  the  cows  left  as 
first  instalment,  and  the  visitors  go  home  ap- 
parently satisfied.  What  follows  I  give  in  the 
language  of  one  who  is  more  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  native  customs  than  myself:  — 
"  Both  parties  have  new  songs  and  dances  to 
learn,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  emulation  which 
shall  excel.  The  bride  has  by  her  a  stock  of 
mats,  spoons,  dishes,  etc.,  which  she  has  col- 
lected, with  which  to  begin  housekeeping.  Her 
father's  gift  is  a  blanket,  and  cattle  according 
to  his  rank.  But  no  girl  ever  goes  to  her  hus- 
band without  an  ox,  which  is  ever  looked  upon 
afterward  as  the  ox  of  the  amahlozi  (ancestral 
spirits),  the  loss  of  which  by  death  would  be 
considered  a  token  of  desertion  by  the  protect- 


Zulu  Weddings  and  Funerals.  203 

ing  spirits  of  her  father's  house,  and  the  slaugh- 
ter of  which,  in  the  event  of  any  calamity 
(such  as  disease  or  barrenness),  is  an  accepta- 
ble sacrifice. 

"When  the  eventful  day  has  arrived,  the 
bride  and  party  (the  higher  the  rank  the  more 
the  followers)  set  out  for  the  bridegroom's 
kraal,  which,  however,  they  will  not  enter  until 
night,  singing  and  dancing  as  they  go.  Early 
in  the  morning  they  go  to  the  nearest  stream, 
wash  and  dress,  and  about  noon  come  up  and 
begin  the  dance,  the  bridegroom's  party  looking 
on.  When  both  sides  have  finished,  which  may 
or  may  not  be  on  the  first  day,  a  cow  is  slaugh- 
tered by  the  bridegroom  and  given  to  the  bride's 
party. 

"  At  night  the  girl  wanders  about  the  kraal, 
followed  by  her  own  sex,  relatives  of  the  bride- 
groom. She  is  '  crying  for  her  father's  house,' 
where  she  was  well  treated.  Now  she  has  come 
to  a  strange  household  where  she  may  be  ill 
used,  and  where  she  has  only  the  certainty  of 
hard  work.  She  is  supposed  to  be  trying  to 
run  away,  and  the  girls  to  be  preventing  her. 
Next  day  the  bridegroom,  his  brother,  sisters, 
and  friends  take  their  seat  in  the  cattle  fold, 
and  the  second  and  last  part  of  the  ceremony, 
called  ukuhlambisa,  takes  place.  (Ukuhlambisa 
means  to  give  wherewithal  to  wash  the  hands. 
Perhaps  it  is  a  symbol  that  on  that  day  she  has 
washed  away  all  her  old  life.)  The  bride  comes 
in  with  her  party  of  girls,  carrying  in  her  hand 
a  spear,  which,  by  the  way,  she  has  carried  all 


204  Forty  Yeart  Among  the  Zulus. 

the  time.  One  girl  bears  a  dish  of  water  and 
a  cahibasli,  and  another  some  beads.  Then  com- 
ing up,  singing  and  dancing,  the  bride  throws 
the  water  over  her  husband.  She  also  sprinkles 
her  brother  and  sister  in  law,  striking  the  latter 
as  a  .s3'mbol  that  from  tliat  time  she  assumes 
authority  over  the  girls  in  her  husband's  liouse- 
hold.  After  this  is  done  she  breaks  the  staff 
of  the  spear,  and  makes  a  run  for  the  gate  of 
the  kraal,  as  a  last  effort  to  get  away.  If  she 
is  not  stopped  by  a  young  man  appointed  for 
the  purpose,  it  is  a  great  disgrace,  and  the  hus- 
band has  to  pay  a  cow  to  get  her  back.  The 
marriage  rites  are  then  finished.  No  widow, 
remarried,  breaks  the  staff  of  the  spear. 

"  For  some  time  after  marriage  the  wife  will 
not  drink  any  sour  milk.  She  was  purchased 
with  milk-giving  cattle,  and  cannot  eat  her  own 
purchase  price.  But  after  a  while  she  takes  the 
broken  spear  to  her  old  home  and  returns  with 
a  goat,  or  sheep,  or  cow,  wliich  is  slaughtered, 
the  defiling  principle  going  out  of  the  milk  into 
the  dead  animal.  Henceforth  she  may  drink 
the  milk.  \n  Zulu  language  she  has  'cleansed 
her  spoon.' " 

Marriage  customs  vary  somewhat,  but  the 
above  is  a  fair  description  of  the  average. 
Traveling  once  on  horseback  through  a  thickly 
populated  part  of  Natal,  I  came  unexpectedly 
on  a  procession  of  natives,  in  front  of  whom  a 
large  ox  was  being  driven,  and  was  told  that  it 
was  the  winding  up  of  a  wedding  ceremony. 
Having  dismounted  and  turned  my  horse  out 


Zulu  Weddings  and  Funerals.  205 

to  graze,  I  watched  the  proceedings.  When 
the  procession  reached  the  gate  of  the  bride- 
groom's kraal,  the  bride  was  closely  veiled  by 
her  female  attendants,  nor  was  the  veil  removed 
till  she  had  taken  her  place  in  the  ring  for  the 
final  dance.  A  hundred  or  more  natives  en- 
gaged in  it  with  all  the  energy  of  which  they 
were  capable,  their  bodies  covered  with  perspi- 
ration, but  I  could  not  see  the  bridegroom  any- 
where. On  inquiring  as  to  his  whereabouts,  I 
received  the  reply,  "Wait  a  few  minutes  and 
you  will  see."  It  turned  out  that  he  was  seated 
near  myself  among  the  spectators,  and  appar- 
ently as  unconcerned  as  any  of  them.  After  a 
little,  the  bride  left  the  ring,  dancing  and  sing- 
ing like  the  rest,  but  evidently  in  search  of 
somebody  or  something.  Suddenly  she  ap- 
peared and  placed  her  hand  heavily  on  her 
lover's  head.  This  the  Zulus  call  iikuketa,  or 
choosing  a  husband.  It  was  a  signal  that  she 
had  selected  him  in  this  public  manner  as  her 
partner  for  life.  The  favored  individual  imme- 
diately jumped  up,  and  went  into  his  own  hut 
in  the  kraal  to  prepare  for  his  part  in  the  dance. 
When  he  again  appeared  he  looked  like  a  new 
being  covered  with  the  skins  of  various  animals, 
beads  and  brass  ornaments  in  great  profusion. 
Taking  his  place  in  the  ring,  he  danced  as 
enthusiastically  as  the  rest. 

What  attracted  my  attention  particularly 
was  an  occurrence  that  usually  takes  place  at 
the  close  of  every  wedding.  The  father  of  the 
bride  took  a  shield,  and,  standing  in  front  of 


206  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

the  dancers,  who  for  tlie  time  kept  quiet,  made 
a  speech  in  Avhich  he  praised  in  no  qualified 
terras  his  daughter,  dilated  on  ail  he  had  done 
for  her,  said  the  number  of  cows  he  had  re- 
ceived was  too  small,  hoped  she  would  meet 
with  good  treatment,  prove  a  fruitful  vine,  etc. 
Occasionally  lie  emphasized  his  words  by  jump- 
ing up  and  kicking  his  shield  witli  violence. 
Then  the  father  of  the  bridegr(K)m  appeared 
on  the  scene,  also  bearing  a  sliield,  lauding  his 
son  to  the  skies,  complaining  that  he  had  paid 
too  many  cattle,  that  the  girl  was  homely  in 
appearance,  not  strong  enough  to  do  nuich 
work,  emphasizing  his  remarks  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  bride's  father  had  done.  This, 
it  is  said,  is  done  that  the  bride  may  not  be 
unduly  elated.  The  crowd  then  dispersed,  sing- 
ing and  shouting  vociferously.  The  wife,  for 
some  weeks  after  marriage,  unless  it  is  the 
planting  season,  does  no  work.  When  she 
does  take  up  her  daily  duties  she  finds  often 
by  sad  experience  that  the  happiest  daj's  of  her 
life  were  those  when  she  was  a  girl  at  home. 

I  have  described  the  marriage  of  uncivilized 
Zulus.  When  they  abandon  heathenism  and 
live  on  mission  stations  they  are  married  ac- 
cording to  Christian  rites.  It  was  feared  by 
some  that  a  colonial  law  lately  enacted,  making 
natives  married  in  a  Christian  manner  liable  to 
punishment  if  they  took  other  wives,  would 
lessen  the  number  of  Christian  marriages,  but 
I  am  told  it  is  not  the  case. 

So  large  are  the  assemblies  which  gather  on 


Zulu  Weddings  aiid  Funer'als.  207 

marriage  occasions  that  it  is  impossible  for 
them  to  find  sitting  or  standing  room  in  our 
places  of  worship.  I  remember  once  going  to 
an  out-station  to  marry  a  couple,  and  finding 
several  hundred  heathen  people  who  had  come 
to  witness  the  ceremony.  It  was  performed  in 
the  open  air,  and  it  was  rather  difficult  to  keep 
the  crowd  quiet  during  its  performance.  Pre- 
vious to  the  marriage  a  procession  was  formed 
at  the  house  of  the  bridegroom  by  the  clad 
Zulus,  to  escort  the  happy  pair  to  the  place 
wliere  they  were  to  be  united,  and  as  they 
appeared  in  sight  on  the  brow  of  an  adjacent 
hill  several  young  people  shouted,  "  Behold,  the 
bridegroom  conieth ;  let  us  go  forth  to  meet 
him ! "  quite  in  imitation  of  the  old  custom  in 
tlie  land  of  the  Bible. 

After  the  marriage  ceremony  was  performed, 
a  hymn  was  sung,  and  the  procession,  headed 
by  the  bride  and  bridegroom,  started  for  their 
future  home,  with  Hags  flying,  the  beat  of  a 
drum,  and  the  occasional  discharge  of  a  mus- 
ket. Had  I  wished,  it  would  have  been  im- 
possible to  restrain  the  hilarity  and  noisy 
demonstrations  of  the  multitude,  and  for  two 
liours  they  beat  the  ground  with  their  canes 
and  clapped  their  hands  and  shouted  till  their 
lungs  were  hoarse.  The  louder  the  noise,  the 
happier  they  seemed  to  be.  I  saw  nothing, 
however,  reprehensible  in  their  conversation 
and  conduct. 

Singing  matches  are  common  at  Zulu  Chris- 
tian weddings.    -The  chief  object  seems  to  be 


208  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

to  ascertain  which  party  will  sing  the  longest, 
and  they  often  continue  till  midnight. 

Funeral  ceremonies  among  the  Zulus  are  few. 
On  the  death  of  an  aged  person  tliere  is  no 
demonstration  of  grief.  They  say  he  or  she 
has  "gone  home."  But  the  reverse  is  the 
case  if  the  deceased  is  a  young  man  or  a 
man  in  the  prime  of  life.  Then  the  people  in 
the  vicinity  repair  to  the  house  of  mourning, 
and  for  days  and  nights  naught  is  heard  but 
the  doleful  wail  carrying  sadness  to  many 
hearts.  Often  at  midnight  we  have  been 
roused  from  slumber  by  loud  cries  and  wailing 
nearly  a  mile  from  our  dwelling.  One  reason 
why  all  the  heathen  neighbors  are  in  the  habit 
of  visiting  the  bereaved  kraal  to  condole  with 
its  inmates  is  a  fear  of  being  suspected,  and 
even  charged  with  having  in  some  way  caused 
the  calamity  in  case  they  do  not  attend.  The 
dead  are  generally  buried  in  a  sitting  posture, 
and  into  the  grave  are  thrown  blankets,  mats, 
spoons,  the  ornaments  worn  and  tools  used  by 
the  individual  when  alive.  When  the  grave  is 
nearly  covered,  a  large  number  of  stones  is 
thrown  in,  and  then  a  mound  two  or  three  feet 
high  is  made.  Zulus,  as  a  general  rule,  have 
very  little  regard  for  the  sepulchers  of  their 
countrymen,  except  those  of  kings.  It  has 
been  the  custom  in  Zululand,  and  probably  is 
now,  in  some  parts  of  South  Africa  not  reached 
by  civilization  and  Christianity,  when  a  king 
dies,  to  l)ury  with  him  some  of  his  servants, 
cupbearers,  milkmen,  etc.,  that  the  saying  may 


Zulu  Weddings  and  Funerals.  209 

be    fulfilled,  "  The    king   must   not   go    to    the 
place    of   the    dead   alone."     The    unfortunate 
individuals  selected  were    generally  strangled, 
and  their  bodies  placed  at  the  bottom  of  the 
grave,  the  royal  corpse  being  laid  upon  them. 
It  is  reported  that  some  have  entered  the  grave 
alive,  and  died  with  perfect  submission.     One 
would  think  that  those  suspecting  their  prob- 
able fate  would  try  to  escape,  but  I  have  been 
told  that  this  is  not  the  case.     A  kind  of  fatal- 
ism takes  possession  of  them,  which  is  charac- 
teristic of  the  Zulus.     They  say,  "  It  was  pre- 
destinated we  should  die  in  this  manner,"    or 
they  may  imagine  they  will  be  happier  in  the 
other  world  if  they  accompany  their  sovereign. 
The  English  have  put  a  stop  to  the  cruel  cus- 
tom, and,  in  one  case.  Christian  teaching  also 
had  a  similar  effect.     Rev.  J.  Allsopp,  a   mis- 
sionary of  my   acquaintance,   visited   the   son 
of  a  chief  who  had  died,  and  ten    or   twelve 
individuals  would  have  been  slain,  had  it  not 
been   for   the    missionary's    intercession.     His 
account  of  it  is  as  follows :  — 

"  The  young  chief  said,  '  My  father  is  dead. 
Who  will  guide  and  tell  me  what  I  shall  do  ? ' 
We  stood  for  a  little,  when,  in  grief  he  asked, 
'  Will  you  go  and  see  my  father  ? '  I  said, 
'  Yes.'  I  was  taken  to  the  hut,  in  which  the 
chief  was  sitting,  not  lying,  dead,  with  his 
blanket  thrown  over  him.  I  removed  the 
covering,  looked  upon  his  face,  and  left  the  hut. 
I  went  back  and  found  the  young  chief  still 
standing.     He  put  out  his  hand  again,  and   I 


210  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

took  it  as  before.  Then  I  said :  '  Now  is  the 
day  of  your  power,  What  will  you  do?  Shall 
the  news  go  from  this  place  to-day  to  all 
throughout  South  Africa  and  across  the  sea,  to 
those  Christians  who  send  you  your  mission- 
aries, and  to  the  Queen  of  England,  that  you 
have  used  your  power  to-day  in  taking  life  and 
shedding  blood?  Shall  it  be  said  that  you 
have  stained  your  hands,  and  that  they  are  red 
with  the  blood  of  your  subjects?  Or  shall  the 
word  go  forth  that  3'ou  are  a  man  of  mercy  ; 
that  you  have  heard  the  gospel ;  that  you 
know  something  of  what  you  ought  to  do? 
Give  me  your  word.'  He  looked  me  steadily 
in  the  face,  and  said,  '  Umfundisi  (Missionary), 
not  a  man  shall  die.'  I  took  him  again  by  the 
hand,  and  said, '  Farewell.  I  believe  you.  The 
chief  has  spoken:  not  a  man  shall  die.' 

"  I  returned  home,  and  learned  only  a  few 
hours  afterward  that,  in  the  assembly  of  two 
or  three  hundred  who  were  already  grouped 
behind  the  cattle  kraal,  some  nine  or  ten  were 
pointed  out  to  be  slain  in  a  few  minutes,  but 
they  were  not  slain.  The  chief  sent  for  the 
men,  and  said,  "  You  know  that  the  old  council- 
ors and  the  witch  doctors  would  have  you  die  ; 
but  I  say,  Go  and  live  upon  such  a  hill ;  there 
you  will  be  safe,  and  nobody  shall  harm  you." 

And  so  it  was.  The  gospel  has  its  effect ;  and 
when  it  teaches  men  to  value  life  as  they  never 
valued  it  before,  and  when  it  teaches  the  hea- 
then to  value  their  wives  and  children  as  they 
never  valued  them  before,  it  is  doing  something. 


Zulu  Weddings  and  Funerals.  211 

These  are  some  of  the  effects  which  are  mani- 
fest to  our  eyes  who  are  laboring  amongst  the 
heathen.  Who  will  not  rejoice  in  such  saving 
power  ? 

On  closing  the  grave  of  a  king  an  immense 
heap  of  stones  is  placed  upon  it,  and  the  na- 
tional dirge,  used  only  at  royal  funerals,  is 
chanted,  while  at  the  same  time  all  the  men 
present  strike  their  shields  with  knob-kerries 
most  vehemently.  The  grave  is  closely  watched 
for  weeks,  sometimes  months,  to  prevent  wiz- 
ards from  stealing  the  body,  which  is  supposed 
to  work  charms  and  even  miracles. 

In  the  case  of  the  decease  of  a  common  per- 
son the  most  shameful  haste  is  sometimes  exer- 
cised in  the  burial.  A  woman  of  my  acquaint- 
ance was  taken  to  the  place  of  interment  late 
one  night,  and  was  so  lightly  covered  that,  to 
the  astonishment  of  her  son,  who  went  early 
the  next  morning  to  complete  the  burial,  she 
said  to  him  as  she  sat  up  in  the  grave,  "  How 
do  you  do,  my  child?" 

When  aid  is  rendered  to  strangers  in  perform- 
ing the  last  rites,  pay  is  always  demanded.  A 
cow  and  a  calf,  with  a  goat  for  the  "  washing 
of  the  hands,"  has  been  the  standard  fee  from 
time  immemorial.  Before  the  light  of  the  gos- 
pel began  to  shine  among  them  it  was  common 
to  drag  old  people  who  appeared  to  be  near 
their  end  to  some  secluded  place,  and  there  let 
them  die  alone,  their  corpses  becoming  the  prey 
of  wild  beasts  and  vultures.  The  dead  bodies 
of  criminals  shared  the  same  fate. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

ZULU    KINGS    AND    WARS. 

CHAKA,  the  most  renowned  of  Zulu  kings, 
not  improperly  called  the  "  Bonaparte  of 
South  Africa,"  began  to  reign  about  the  begin- 
ning of  this  century.  His  name  awakens  deep 
emotions  in  the  native  mind.  As  it  is  little 
more  than  fifty  years  since  his  death,  there  are 
natives  living  who  knew  him  personally,  and 
they  are  never  tired  of  rehearsing  his  mighty 
deeds.  I  have  often  heard  them  repeat  with 
genuine  delight  a  song  which  his  warriors  were 
accustomed  to  sing  to  his  praise  :  — - 

Tliou  hast  finished  the  nations. 
Where  wilt  thou  go  to  battle  now? 
Hey!  where  wilt  thou  go  to  battle  now? 

Unlike  other  South  African  chiefs,  he  was  in 
the  habit  of  fighting  in  person  at  the  head  of 
his  braves,  and  it  is  said  he  never  lied  before  a 
foe  or  lost  a  battle.  His  name  is  regarded  by  the 
Zulus  as  sacred,  and  is  never  mentioned  except 
to  give  solemnity  to  an  oath  or  to  nerve  the 
warrior  for  battle.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
had  a  standing  army  of  thirty-six  regiments. 
"  In  working  out  the  scheme  of  his  ambition  he 
introduced  some  remarkable  reforms  into  the  art 
of  barbarian  Avarfare.  Each  regiment  was  dis- 
tinguished from  others  by  the  color  and  pattern 

212 


Zulu  Kings  and  Wars.  213 

of  their  shields.  His  men  were  taught  to  wield 
the  short  assegai  and  shield  in  close  personal 
combat,  instead  of  putting  their  trust,  as  of  old, 
in  the  long  javelin  hurled  from  afar;  and  the 
warrior  who  returned  from  the  fight  without 
assegai  and  shield  in  his  hand,  or  who  bore  the 
mark  of  a  wound  on  his  back,  did  so  to  the  for- 
feit of  his  life.  His  warriors  were  forbidden  to 
marry,  as  domestic  ties  were  thought  to  soften 
and  enervate.  But  after  a  certain  period  of 
service  old  regiments  were  superannuated  as 
veterans  and  furnished  with  wives,  and  new 
levies  raised  to  take  their  places  in  the  ranks."  ^ 

During  the  reign  of  Chaka,  which  lasted  only 
nineteen  years,  he  extended  his  conquests  far 
and  wide,  and  swept  away  no  less  than  three 
hundred  tribes,  slaying  all  who  would  nut  sub- 
mit to  his  authority. 

His  nature  was  cruel.  He  stabbed  his  own 
mother  to  the  heart,  and  then  called  on  the 
nation  to  mourn  her  death.  At  an  assembly 
of  his  leading  men  he  was  once  speaking 
of  a  tribe  he  was  about  to  attack,  and  he  laid 
a  wager  that  their  dead  bodies  would  fill  a 
certain  ravine.  The  tribe  was  slain  ;  but  the 
king's  wager  was  lOst,  for  the  ravine  was  not 
filled. 

When  in  the  zenith  of  his  power,  he  allowed 
a  few  Englishmen  to  settle  at  Port  Natal,  com- 
missioning two  of  their  number  to  go  to  Eng- 
land with  the  following  message  to  George  IV  : 
"  If  you  will  look  after  your  interests  in  Eng- 

1  See  Dr.  Robert  Mann's  book  on  "  Colony  of  Natal." 


214  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

land,  I  will  look  after  mine  in  Africa,  and  will 
take  care  that  no  enemies  are  left.  We  will 
be  the  sovereigns  of  the  world." 

Captain  Allen  Gardiner,  a  philanthropic  gen- 
tleman, who  went  to  South  Africa  during 
Chaka's  reign,  received  the  king's  permission 
to  live  at  the  Port,  on  condition  that  he  would 
send  back  to  Zululand  all  refugees  from  that 
country.  The  captain  agreed,  and  soon  a  party 
of  men  were  sent  bound  to  Chaka  with  the 
request  that  he  would  spare  their  lives.  They 
were  shut  up  in  a  hut  and  left  to  die  of  star- 
vation. It  is  a  curious  coincidence  that  the 
good,  but  indiscreet  captain  was  starved  to 
death  in  Terra  del  Fuego,  where  he  had  gone 
to  evangelize  the  Patagonians. 

The  soldiers  who  fought  under  Chaka  were 
the  fathers  and  grandfathers  of  those  who 
resisted  so  valiantly  an  army  of  British  troops, 
sweeping  away  an  entire  regiment  on  that  sad 
morning  of  January  22,  1879,  at  Isaiulhlwana. 
English  officers,  who  had  witnessed  battles  in 
other  lands,  often  remarked  that  thc}^  never  saw 
courage  displayed  equal  to  that  of  the  Zulus. 

Like  most  African  chiefs,  Chaka  fell  at  the 
hands  of  assassins.  Three  of  his  own  brothers 
rushed  into  his  kraal  one  day,  and  seeing  him 
unprotected  stabbed  him  with  assegais,  and 
are  said  to  liave  drunk  on  the  sjjot  the  gall  of 
the  chief  they  had  conspired  to  assassinate. 
Chaka,  as  he  was  about  to  expire,  is  reported 
to  have  uttered  these  prophetic  words,  "  You 
kill  me ;  but  the  white  race,  a  race  you  do  not 


Zulu  Kings  ayid  Wars.  215 

know,  shall  occupy  this  land."  His  prophecy  is 
fulfilled.  Not  a  stone's  throw  from  his  grave, 
where  were  once  heard  the  songs  of  blood- 
thirsty barbarians,  stands  a  church  in  which 
English  Christians  worship. 

On  the  death  of  Chaka,  Dingaan,  his  brother 
and  one  of  the  conspirators,  ascended  the 
throne.  He  was  more  wily  and  cruel,  even  more 
like  Nero,  than  his  predecessor.  Captain  Gar- 
diner, who  visited  him  in  1835,  saw  him  amus- 
ing himself  by  torturing  one  of  his  men- 
servants.  Commanding  him  to  hold  out  his  arm, 
he  seized  his  hand,  and  with  his  burning  glass, 
the  gift  of  a  white  man,  he  burnt  a  hole  into 
his  skin.  The  poor  servant  writhed  with  pain, 
but  dared  not  utter  a  word  lest  something 
worse  should  befall  him.  One  of  his  titles  — 
a  fit  one  —  was  "  Hyena-man."  It  is  said  he 
would  never  acknowledge  that  he  had  any  chil- 
dren. An  infant  was  once  brought  to  him  with 
the  hope  that  its  life  might  be  spared.  Captain 
Gardiner  remarked :  "  He  instantly  seized  his 
own  child  by  the  heels  and  with  one  blow  de- 
prived it  of  that  life  which,  with  such  a  father, 
it  could  have  been  no  privilege  to  enjoy.  This 
horrid  deed  was  only  surpassed  by  the  imme- 
diate murder  of  the  agonized  mother,  whose 
eyes  closed  with  the  vivid  impression  of  the 
scene  she  had  beheld." 

The  Dutch  farmers  in  South  Africa  will 
never  cease  to  execrate  the  name  of  that 
tyrant,  when  they  recall  his  treatment  of  their 
fathers.     In     1830,     seventy     strong,    athletic 


216  Forty  Years  Amom/  the  Zulus. 

Boers,  well  armed  and  mounted,  visited  Din- 
gaan,  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  treaty  with 
him,  and  obtaining  a  part  of  his  country. 
Some  of  them,  to  obtain  his  favor,  had  pre- 
viously, at  his  request,  attacked  a  distant  na- 
tive tribe,  oljnoxious  to  him,  stripped  them  of 
their  cattle  and  presented  them  to  him.  The 
party  was  received  with  apparent  cordiality, 
their  request  complied  with,  and  a  large  slice 
of  Zululand  ceded  to  them.  Elated  with  suc- 
cess, they  were  about  to  return  to  their  fami- 
lies in  Natal,  when  a  polite  invitation  came  to 
them  from  his  sable  majesty  to  tarry  a  little, 
take  a  friendly  drink  of  beer,  and  witness  a 
war  dance,  which  he  was  arranging  for  their 
amusement.  This  request  was  coupled  with 
another,  that  they  should  leave  their  guns  and 
ammunition  outside  of  his  kraal,  that  the  people 
might  not  be  afraid.  Alas !  the  unsuspecting 
Boers  had  not  calcnlated  on  the  treachery  of 
their  host.  They  repaired  to  the  place  desig- 
nated, and,  while  gazing  on  the  weird  scene  of 
thousands  of  savages  engaged  in  the  dance, 
Dingaan  suddenly  arose,  waved  his  hand,  and 
said,  "Kill  the  wizards."  The  order  was 
executed,  and  in  less  than  fifteen  minutes  every 
farmer  was  beaten  to  death  with  knob-kerries 
and  canes.  I  have  conversed  with  natives  who 
took  part  in  that  massacre,  and  they  said  the 
Boers  fought  desperately  with  their  hunting- 
knives,  the  only  weapons  they  had,  and  quite 
as  many  Zulus  perished  as  Dutch.  The  corpses 
of  the  latter  were  dragged  out  to  a  Zulu  gol- 


Zulu  Kings  and  Wars.  217 

gotha,  where  they  became  a  prey  for  wild 
beasts  and  birds. 

Without  narrating  in  detail  what  followed, 
suffice  it  to  say,  the  friends  of  the  murdered 
Boers  wreaked  fearful  vengeance  on  Dingaan ; 
defeated  his  army  and,  at  last,  placed  Umpande, 
his  brother,  on  the  Zulu  throne.  Dingaan,  when 
in  the  zenith  of  his  power,  had  desired  to  slay 
Umpande,  thinking  that  he  might  become  a 
rival,  but,  through  the  intervention  of  a  friend, 
spared  him,  remarking,  however,  "  You  wish 
me  to  spare  a  dog  which  will  one  day  bite 
me."  Driven  out  of  Zululand  by  the  Dutch, 
Dingaan  sought  protection  among  the  Ama- 
swazi  people,  to  whom  he  had  shown  no  com- 
passion, and  it  is  not  strange  that  they  quickly 
terminated  his  existence.  Thus  there  was  ful- 
filled a  Zulu  proverb,  "  The  swimmer  in  the 
end  gets  carried  away  with  the  stream." 

Umpande  was  not  inclined  to  war,  and  for 
thirty  years  kept  on  good  terms  with  both 
Dutch  and  English.  That  there  were  times 
when  his  young  braves  desired  to  invade  Natal, 
enrich  themselves  with  cattle,  and  sweep  away 
the  few  white  people  residing  there,  and  that 
they  could  easily  have  done  it,  is  evident.  But 
Umpande,  supported  by  his  old  men,  always 
refused  to  gratify  them.  Once,  when  they 
manifested  considerable  anger  because  not 
allowed  to  attack  the  English,  an  old  councilor, 
Ulukwasi,  by  name,  made  the  following  elo- 
quent speech :  — 

"  I  am  old  and   am   almost  inclined  to  feel 


218  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

that  in  speaking  to  you  young  warriors  on  the 
present  subject,  I  demean  myself,  for  you  are 
but  cliildren  in  many  ways.  I  fought  under 
("haka  with  my  single  assegai,  and  let  my  com- 
panions in  arms  say  whether  my  assegai  ever 
came  back  bright  as  I  took  it  from  home,  or  if 
1  ever  turned  from  the  foe.  I  have  stood  under 
Dingaan's  rule,  with  bullets  from  the  guns  of 
the  Dutch  passing  around  me  like  bees,  and  the 
wounds  1  show  bear  witness  for  me.  You  speak 
of  battles  to  come :  I  deal  witli  those  already 
fought,  into  which  we  went  a  host  and  returned 
few  in  numbers.  You  ask  to  be  led  against  the 
English  ?  Why  ?  Are  they  enemies  ?  You  can- 
not fight  with  friends,  so  they  must  be  enemies. 
I  will  tell  you  in  what  their  hostility  consists. 
You  were  cold,  and  they  gave  you  blankets. 
You  wanted  ornaments,  and  they  brought  you 
beads  and  other  things,  for  which,  in  fair  trade, 
you  gave  your  cattle.  Did  they  steal  those  cat- 
tle, that  you  want  to  plunder  them  ?  Tell  me 
of  one  instance  in  which  an  Englishman  has 
stolen  a  Zulu  beast,  and  I  will  join  you  in  your 
raid ;  but,  if  you  cannot,  then  tell  me  when  you 
start,  and  I,  together  with  ray  family,  will  cross 
over  to  the  English."  ^ 

This  speech  is  said  to  have  saved  Natal,  but 
it  cost  the  speaker  his  life.  It  was  not  long 
before  he  died,  probably  from  poison. 

The  successor  of  Umpande  was  Cetywayo, 
one  of  his  youngest  sons.  The  old  king  desired 
that  Umbulazi,  his  oldest  son,  should  have  the 

' "  Zululanii  aud  the  Zulus,"  by  Fred  B,  Finney. 


Zulu  Kings  and  Wars,  219 

supremacy,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  express  his 
wish  to  the  nation  ;  but  Cetywayo,  a  cunning 
fellow  and  burning  with  ambition,  succeeded  in 
winning  over  to  his  side  the  majority  of  the 
people.  The  father  saw  no  other  way  than  to 
allow  the  sons  to  settle  the  question  of  sov- 
ereignty by  force  of  arms.  Evidently  Umbu- 
lazi  had  some  misgivings  in  regard  to  the  issue 
of  the  contest,  for  he  selected  a  place  for  the 
engagement  only  five  miles  from  the  Tugela 
River,  which  divides  Zululand  from  Natal, 
hoping,  in  case  of  defeat,  his  adherents  might 
escape  into  that  colony. 

The  fight  was  one  of  the  most  sanguinary 
that  ever  occurred  among  the  Zulus.  Umbulazi 
was  defeated,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been 
slain,  as  he  was  never  afterwards  seen.  Multi- 
tudes ran  to  the  river  with  the  intention  of 
crossing,  but  were  speared  on  the  way,  mothers 
with  babes  on  their  backs  as  well  as  the  men. 
Many  were  drowned,  as  the  river  was  swollen 
at  the  time.  Cetywayo  was  "master  of  the 
situation,"  and  the  whole  Zulu  nation  ac- 
knowledged him  as  supreme  chief. 

Although  the  Zulus  are  a  nation  of  warriors, 
and  unsurpassed  for  courage  in  battle,  yet  when 
not  on  the  "  warpath,"  they  are  as  orderly  and 
peaceful  a  tribe  as  can  anywhere  be  found. 
For  the  past  fifty  years  those  residing  in  Natal 
have  been  loyal  subjects,  only  one  case  of  re- 
bellion having  occurred  and  that  very  quickly 
ended. 

In  the  government  of  the  natives,  Natal  has 


220  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

been  exceedingly  fortunate  in  having,  for  thirty 
years  or  more,  Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone  as  sec- 
retary for  native  affairs,  a  gentleman  whom  all, 
black  and  white,  could  love  and  trust.  That 
peace  has  been  preserved  for  so  long  a  time  is 
owing  largely  to  his  able  and  wise  management. 
His  father  was  a  missionary  in  Kaffraria. 
When  young,  he  attached  himself  to  the  staff 
of  Benjamin  D'Urban,  an  English  officer,  and 
was  engaged  in  the  Kaffii-  war  of  1835.  Ten 
years  later  he  came  to  Natal  and  began  that 
career  of  usefulness,  the  noble  record  of  which 
will  1111  a  prominent  place  in  colonial  history. 
He  has  always  been  ready  to  aid  Christian  mis- 
sionaries by  counsel  and  otherwise.  The  Natal 
Zulus  felt  that  in  "  Somseu,"  as  they  called 
their  white  king,  they  had  a  kind  and  judicious 
"  father." 

"  Could  the  Zulu  war  of  1878-79  have  been 
avoided  ? "  is  a  question  often  asked,  to  which 
various  replies  have  been  given.  My  own  opin- 
ion at  the  time  was,  and  it  has  not  changed, 
that  Natal  was  in  imminent  danger,  and  that  if 
the  Englisli  had  not  taken  measures  to  curb  the 
war  passion  in  Zululand  a  raid  would  have 
taken  place,  the  results  of  which  would  have 
been  fearful  in  the  extreme. 

Cety  wayo,  though  he  may  have  been  disposed, 
personally,  to  live  in  peace  with  his  white  neigh- 
bors, could  not  control  his  young  braves.  They 
were  determined,  as  they  said,  "  to  go  somewhere 
and  wash  their  spears  in  blood."  Moreover 
they  had  come  into  possession  of  firearms,  and 


Zulu  Kings  and  Wars.  221 

were  anxious  to  try  them.  Not  permitted  to 
attack  native  tribes  on  their  border,  they  began 
to  think  and  proudly  talk  of  invading  Natal. 
Travelers,  traders,  and  missionaries  saw,  from  the 
impudence  displayed,  that  mischief  was  brewing. 
The  Zulus  were  really  under  obligations  to 
the  English.  Soon  after  Cetywayo  began  his 
career,  he  was  crowned  by  them  "  king  of  Zulu- 
land,  and  ally  to  England."  Intestine  strife 
hfid  been  averted  by  the  wise  intervention  of 
Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone,  Natal's  representa- 
tive. At  the  time  of  his  coronation,  Cetywayo 
willingly,  and  it  was  supposed  sincerely,  made 
certain  promises,  on  the  fulfillment  of  which,  he 
was  told,  the  safety  of  himself  and  country 
depended.  Those  were  that  he  must  stop  the 
indiscriminate  shedding  of  blood ;  that  no 
Zulu  should  be  condemned  to  death  without  a 
trial,  and  that  for  minor  offenses  loss  of  prop- 
erty should  be  substituted  in  place  of  death. 
Everything  was  carefully  explained  to  him. 
Would  that  he  had  been  wise !  Soon  after, 
when  called  to  account  for  disregarding  the 
agreement,  he  said,  with  an  air  of  defiance,  to 
the  messenger  from  the  Natal  government : 
"  Why  do  the  white  people  start  at  nothing  ?  I 
have  not  yet  begun  to  kill.  It  is  the  custom  of 
our  nation,  and  I  shall  not  depart  from  it.  Have 
I  not  asked  the  English  to  allow  me  to  wash  my 
spears  since  the  death  of  my  father  ?  and  they 
have  kept  playing  with  me  all  this  time,  treating 
me  like  a  child.  Go  back  and  tell  the  English 
that  I  shall  act  on  my  own  account,  and  that  if 


222  Forty  Yearn  Among  the  Zulus. 


they  wish  me  to  agree  to  their  laws  I  shall  leave 
and  become  a  wanderer  ;  but  it  will  be  seen 
that  I  shaU  not  go  without  having  acted^ 

At  another  time,  he  sent  this  message  to  the 
colonial  governor:  "I  shall  do  as  I  like.  I  am 
king  in  my  own  country.  Take  care  of  your 
own  affairs,  and  I  will  take  care  of  mine." 

In  the  ultimatum  sent  to  him  b}^  the  Natal 
authorities,  at  the  advice  of  Sir  Bartle  Frere, 
previous  to  the  commencement  of  hostilities,  he 
was  called  upon  to  make  suitable  reparation  for 
raids  made  by  his  people  into  the  Natal  terri- 
tory ;  also,  to  disband  his  army,  as  well  as  to 
conform  to  the  re(iuiruments  previously  imposed. 
He  was  also  told  that  a  British  agent  must  be 
allowed  to  reside  in  his  country  ;  that  every 
man  when  he  comes  to  man's  estate  should  be 
free  to  marry  ;  that  missionaries  and  their  con- 
verts, who  had  left  the  country  through  fear, 
must  be  allowed  to  return  and  reoccupy  tlieir 
stations,  etc.  Setting  at  naught  the  advice  of  old 
missionaries,  for  Avhom  his  father  had  cherished 
respect,  he  listened  to  the  proud  boastings  of 
his  youthful  warriors,  who  said,  "  We  are  not 
afraid  of  those  few  insignificaut  white  men  ; 
we  can  easily  drive  them  into  the  sea!"  and 
suffered  the  thirty  days'  ultimatum  to  expire. 
Thereupon  the  British  troops  crossed  the  border 
and  proclaimed  martial  law. 

What  wiser,  better  course  could  have  been 
pursued?  That  Natal  was  in  peril  no  clear- 
headed man  can  deny.  The  colonists  were  near 
the  crater  of  a  volcano  liable  at  any  time  to  an 


Zulu  Kings  and  Wars.  223 

eruption.  Cetywayo  could  not  control  his  war- 
riors. Fearing  the  result  of  their  rashness,  he 
remonstrated  with  them,  but  they  tauntingly 
replied,  "  You  are  a  coward ;  you  are  not  the 
son  of  Chaka." 

The  mayor  of  the  colonial  capital,  in  a  let- 
ter to  the  "  Aborigines  Protection  Society,"  in 
England,  fairly  stated  the  matter  when  he  said: 
"  The  real  point  to  be  met  and  settled  is  this : 
Is  her  majesty's  authority,  as  representing 
peace  and  civilization,  or  Cetywayo's  authority, 
as  representing  bloodshed  and  barbarism,  to  be 
paramount  in  South  Africa?  That  is  the  real 
question,  but  instead  of  calmly  discussing  it,  a 
side  issue  has  been  raised  by  the  opj)onents  of 
Sir  Bartle  Frere,  and  that  is  this :  Could  he, 
with  safety  to  her  majesty's  dominions,  have 
waited  before  sending  the  ultimatum  to  Cety- 
wayo until  he  had  submitted  it  for  the  consider- 
ation of  her  majesty's  government  at  home? 
This,  I  admit,  is  a  question  fairly  open  to 
debate.  But  the  question  of  insisting  on  tlie 
fulfillment  of  the  ultimatum  itself,  to  the  letter, 
if  the  lives  and  property  of  her  majesty's 
subjects  and  of  her  allies  in  South  Africa  were 
to  be  secured,  is  not  a  matter  of  debate  merely, 
but  a  necessity  that  had  to  be  faced.  The  side 
issue  raised  is  merely  important  as  a  question 
of  official  subordination." 

Without  particularizing,  I  will  add  that  the 
most  competent  judges  in  South  Africa  decided 
at  the  time,  and  we  believe  the  impartial  ver- 
dict of  history  will  sustain  their  decision,  that 


224  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

the  Natal  authorities  were  justified  in  the 
course  they  adopted,  and  moreover  that  Sir 
Bartle  Frere,  "  that  noble  old  man,  and  cer- 
tainly the  most  talented  high  commissioner 
South  Africa  has  ever  seen,"  showed  his  wis- 
dom by  bringing  the  case  to  issue  at  once,  as 
lie  did  by  advising  the  governor  of  Natal  to 
send  the  ultimatum  to  Cetywayo.  That  hav- 
ing been  contemned,  war  was  inevitable. 

At  the  commencement  of  hostilities  one  of 
the  greatest  military  blunders  occurred  of  which 
we  have  any  account  in  English  warfare.  Lord 
Chelmsford,  the  general,  was  especially  warned 
by  those  who  were  well  acquainted  with  the 
Zulu  modes  of  warfare,  to  avoid  being  taken 
by  snrprise.  Said  George  Cato,  American  con- 
sul in  Natal,  an  old  colonist:  "My  lord,  when 
you  get  into  Zululand,  keep  your  army  to- 
gether, and  be  ready  at  a  moment's  warning 
to  go  into  laager " ;  that  is,  draw  the  wagons 
into  the  form  of  a  square  and  chain  them 
together,  pulling  horses,  oxen,  etc.,  safely  inside. 
Mr.  J.  J.  Mys,  a  Dutchman  with  a  lifelong 
experience  of  Zulu  warfare,  also  said  to  the 
general,  a  few  days  before  the  army  crossed  the 
border :  "  Be  on  your  guard.  I  have  knowledge 
of  the  deceit  and  treachery  of  the  Zulu  nation. 
The  Zulus  are  more  dangerous  than  you  think. 
I  lost  my  father  and  my  brother  through  them, 
because  we  held  them  too  cheaply.  Trek  ^  into 
Zululand  with  two  laagers  close  to  each  other." 
It  is  said  the  general  smiled,  and  observed  that 
he  thought  it  would  not  be  necessary. 

>  A  common  word  for  "  journey,"  or  "  go." 


Zulu  Kings  and  Wars.  226 

Confident  of  an  easy  victory,  the  British 
soldiers,  with  a  hirge  body  of  colonial  volun- 
teers and  native  allies,  entered  the  country  and 
pitched  their  camp  at  the  foot  of  a  high  moun- 
tain called  Isandhlwana.  The  day  following, 
instead  of  sending  out  scouts  in  all  directions, 
and  waiting  till  he  could  be  sure  that  there 
were  no  signs  of  the  enemy,  the  general,  with  a 
part  of  his  army,  went  off  twelve  or  fifteen 
miles  to  reconnoiter.  Just  then  there  arrived 
on  the  field  from  twenty  to  thirty  thousand  of 
Cetywayo's  best  soldiers  to  meet  the  invaders. 
Instead  of  "going  into  laager,"  as  the  Dutch 
would  have  done  under  like  circumstances,  the 
English  hastily  began  the  fight,  regardless,  it  is 
said,  of  orders  the  general  had  left,  but  which  un- 
fortunately he  was  not  present  to  see  executed. 
They  soon  found  that  the  Zulus  were  a  foe  not 
to  be  despised.  Rushing  upon  them  with  a 
fearful  yell,  fearless  of  cannon,  Gatling  gun, 
and  showers  of  bullets  which  laid  low  at  least 
three  thousand  of  their  number,  they  demolished 
the  English  camp  in  less  than  an  hour's  time. 
A  regiment  of  "  redcoats "  standing  in  a  solid 
body  fired  away  all  their  cartridges  and  then, 
as  they  tried  to  defend  themselves  with  their 
bayonets,  were  speared,  not  one  escaping.  The 
rest,  flying  in  different  directions,  were  pur- 
sued and  many  of  them  slain  while  attempting 
to  reach  the  Natal  Colony.  The  general, 
returning  at  dark  to  the  place  where  he  had 
left  his  camp,  found  all  gone,  tents,  horses,  oxen, 
mules,  beds,  provisions,  guns,  money,  all  that 


226  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

the  Zulus  thought  would  be  of  any  use.  The 
dead  soldiers  were  stripped  of  tlieir  clothing, 
and  the  wounded,  according  to  native  custom, 
put  to  death.  The  feelings  of  Lord  Chelms- 
ford, as  he  stood  or  sat  by  the  dead  ])odies  of 
his  soldiers  during  that  long,  dark  night  of 
January  22,  1879,  can  he  better  imagined  than 
described.  Report  said  that  for  six  months 
not  a  smile  was  seen  on  his  countenance. 

As  the  camp  was  rifled  of  everything,  and  a 
new  commissariat  would  be  needed,  a  return  to 
Natal  was  decided  upon  the  next  morning.  A 
body  of  Zulus  had  crossed  the  Buffalo  River 
into  the  colony  and  attacked  a  small  fort  at 
"  Rorke's  Drift,"  where  a  mere  handful  of 
Englishmen  defended  themselves  against  the 
enemy,  although  some  Zulus  came  near  enough 
to  catch  hold  of  the  rifles,  between  the  biscuit- 
boxes  and  bags  of  grain,  with  which  the  forti- 
fication was  made.  Returning  to  their  own 
country  they  passed  within  gunshot  of  Lord 
Chelmsford's  troops,  who  never  offered  to  harm 
them,  and  were  only  too  glad  to  find  them- 
selves in  a  place  of  safety. 

The  terror  that  seized  the  people  in  Natal, 
after  the  massacre  at  Isandhlwana,  was  so 
great  that  many  of  them  sought  protection  in 
the  towns  or  fortified  places.  The  belief  was 
general  that  the  Zulus,  elated  witli  tlieir  suc- 
cess, would  overrun  the  colony.  England  be- 
came alarmed,  and  sent  out  a  lai-ge  number  of 
troops  and  the  subjugation  of  Zululand  was 
prosecuted  in  a  more  cautious  manner. 


Zulu  Kings  and  Wars.  227 

As  a  result  of  the  Zulu  war,  Cetywayo  was 
taken  prisoner,  sent  to  Cape  Town,  his  country 
divided,  and  over  each  division  was  placed  a 
petty  chief.  The  king,  after  a  visit  to  England 
and  an  audience  with  her  majesty  the  Queen, 
was  permitted  to  return  and  resume  authority 
over  a  portion  of  his  former  people.  But  soon 
a  contention  arose  between  rival  chiefs.  One 
of  them,  Usibepu,  visited  Cetywayo,  after  his 
return,  and  was  apparently  disposed  to  live  in 
peace,  but  was  snubbed  by  the  son  of  Umpan- 
de,  in  a  manner  not  likely  to  be  forgotten. 
The  "  Usutu,"  as  Cetywayo's  party  were  called, 
said  to  him,  "  You  are  only  a  dog,"  and  soon 
began  to  make  raids  into  his  territory.  This 
roused  the  ire  of  Usibepu,  who  resolved  to 
crush  his  insolent  rival,  though  he  should  die 
in  the  attempt.  With  nearly  a  thousand  picked 
warriors  and  aided  by  some  European  filibus- 
ters, who  joined  him  in  hopes  of  reward,  he 
marched  all  one  night  and  came  suddenly  at 
daybreak  on  Ondine,  Cetywayo's  kraal,  put- 
ting all  its  inhabitants  to  an  ignominious  flight. 
It  was  not  a  battle,  but  a  slaughter  of  fugitives. 
Abraham,  a  Christian  native,  member  of  the 
Umsunduzi  church,  who  was  visiting  Ondine 
at  that  time,  took  the  chief's  rifle,  and  defended 
himself  and  the  king  as  long  as  the  cartridges 
lasted,  and  he  was  then  shot  himself.  Cety- 
wayo, after  receiving  a  spear  wound,  escaped 
into  the  Inkanhla  forest,  from  which  he  was 
rescued  shortly  after  by  a  party  of  English 
troops.     He    soon    died,    probably    a    natural 


228  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

death,  though  his  own  people  say  from  poison 
administered  by  his  enemies. 

His  son  Undinizulu,  a  lad  of  twenty  years, 
swore  that  he  would  avenge  his  father's  death, 
and  in  direct  opposition  to  the  English  author- 
ities, now  in  possession  of  Zululand,  renewed 
the  quarrel  between  the  Usutu,  his  own  party, 
and  that  of  Usibepu.  Tlie  result  was  that  he 
was  made  a  prisoner,  tried  before  an  English 
judge,  and  sentenced  to  banishment  at  St. 
Helena  for  ten  years.  There,  the  unfortunate 
prince,  like  the  great  Napoleon,  will  have 
opportunity  to  reflect  on  that  turn  of  the 
wheel  of  fortune  which  deprived  him  of  his 
chieftainship  and  terminated  the  Zulu  dynasty. 

A  "Zulu  Defense  Committee"  has  been 
formed  in  England,^  chielly  through  the  elo- 
quent and  importunate  pleading  of  Miss  Harri- 
ette  E.  Colenso,  daughter  of  the  late  bishop  of 
that  name.  She,  it  is  said,  has  "  expended  more 
than  .£3,000"  in  defending  the  exiled  chiefs, 
but,  as  yet,  little  has  been  accomplished 
except  bringing  the  matter  before  the  English 
public.  The  repatriation  of  the  Zulu  chiefs,  it 
is  thought  by  the  imperial  authorities,  would 
disturb  the  present  peaceful  state  of  Zululand. 
If  the  exiles  behave  well,  and  the  political 
condition  of  their  country  admits  of  tlieir 
return  with  safety,  I  have  no  doubt  it  will  be 
effected  at  an  early  date. 

1  See  Appendix. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

ZULU   FOLKLORE. 

ZULU  native  lore  is  quite  limited,  all  we 
have  being  taken  from  the  lips  of  the 
people.  They  had  an  abundance  of  legends^ 
many  of  which,  together  with  their  religious 
beliefs,  have  been  collected  and  published  in 
two  volumes  by  Rev.  Henry  Callaway,  m.d.,  a 
missionary  bishop  of  the  Church  of  England.^ 
In  this  department  he  labored  with  unwearied 
zeal  and  perseverance,  and  we  are  indebted  to 
him  for  having  saved  much  which  might  other- 
wise have  been  lost. 

Dr.  Callaway  said  the  belief  was  irresistibly 
fixed  in  his  mind  that  the  Zulu  tales  point  out 
very  clearly  that  the  Zulus  are  a  degenerated 
people  ;  that  they  are  not  now  in  the  condition, 
intellectually  or  physically,  in  which  they  were 
during  the  "  legend-producing  period "  of  their 
existence,  but  have  sunk  from  a  higher  state. 
Like  the  discovered  relics  of  giant  buildings  in 
Asia  and  America,  they  appear  to  speak  of  a 
mightier  and  better  past  which,  it  may  be,  is 
lost  forever.  "  What  we  have  preserved,"  he 
says,  "contains  evidence  of  intellectual  powers 
not  to  be  despised,  while  we  have,  scattered 
everywhere  throughout  the  tales,  those  evi- 
dences of  tender  feelings,  gentleness,  and  love, 

1  Callaway's  Nursery  Tales. 

229 


230  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

which  should  teach  us  tliat  in  dealing  with 
savages  we  are  dealing  with  savage  men^  who 
only  need  culture  to  have  developed  in  them 
the  finest  traits  of  our  human  nature." 

Elizabeth  Cookson,  in  her  "Introduction  to 
the  Legends  of  Manx  Land,"  has  truthfully 
observed :  "  Popular  tales,  songs,  and  super- 
stitions are  not  altogether  profitless  ;  like  the 
fingers  of  a  clock,  they  point  to  the  time  of 
day.  Turns  and  modes  of  thought,  that  else 
had  set  in  darkness,  are  by  them  preserved  and 
reflected,  even  as  objects  sunk  below  the  hori- 
zon are  occasionally  brought  again  into  vieiv  by 
atmospheric  reflection.  Fables  are  facts  in  so 
far  as  they  mirror  the  minds  of  our  less  scien- 
tific ancestors." 

In  citing  a  few  specimens  of  Zulu  light 
literature,  I  begin  with  a  fable,  the  moral  of 
which  is:  "If  you  want  anything  done  well,  do 
it  yourself." 

Long  ago  a  certain  king  sent  for  all  the 
animals  to  go  to  a  certain  place  and  receive 
their  tails.  On  the  day  the  tails  were  to  be 
distributed,  the  coney,  not  being  disposed  to 
take  the  journey  in  consequence  of  a  little 
rain,  said  to  the  monkey,  "  When  you  get  your 
tail,  will  you  ask  for  mine  also,  and  bring  it  to 
me?"  The  monkey  agreed,  but  on  his  way 
home  managed  to  join  the  coney's  tail  to  his 
own,  saying,  "If  he  is  too  lazy  to  go  for  what 
he  needs,  he  must  go  without.  I  shall  not 
encourage  his  idleness."  So  the  monkey  has  a 
long  tail,  but  the  coney  scarcely  any. 


Zulu  Folklore.  231 


When  Zulus  ask  others  to  do  for  them  what 
they  ought  to  do  for  themselves,  they  often 
humorously  reply,  "Have  you  forgotten  the 
coney  that  lost  its  tail  ?  " 

Other  races  have  fables  accounting  for  the 
tailless  condition  of  animals,  such  as  that  of 
the  bear,  in  the  Norse  tales,  fisliing,  at  the 
instigation  of  the  fox,  with  his  tail  through 
a  hole  in  the  ice  till  it  was  frozen,  and  losing  it 
when  he  attempted  to  escape ;  but  the  fable  of 
the  coney  has  much  more  significance. 

Another  fable  is  that  of  The  Hyena  and  the 
Moon,  which  is  not  unlike  ^]sop's  fable  of  The 
Dog  and  the  Shadow. 

It  happened  on  a  time  that  a  hyena  found  a 
bone  and,  taking  it  up,  carried  it  in  his  mouth. 
The  moon  began  to  shine  with  a  beautiful 
light  on  a  river  near  by,  and  when  the  hyena 
saw  the  moon  in  the  water  he  threw  down  the 
bone  and  plunged  into  the  water  to  catch  it, 
thinking  it  to  be  beef.  But  he  caught  nothing. 
Another  hyena  came  and  took  the  bone.  The 
first  hyena  v/as  much  ridiculed  for  his  fruitless 
plunge  into  the  water  and  the  loss  of  his  bone. 
So  the  Zulus  often  laugh  at  each  other  when 
unsuccessful  in  their  vain  enterprises,  saying, 
"  You  are  like  the  hyena  that  threw  away  the 
bone  and  caught  nothing." 

Jack  the  Giant  Killer,  or  rather  a  compound 
of  that  hero  and  Tom  Thumb,  is  found  in 
Zulu  tales  in  the  person  of  Uthlakanyana,  who 
speaks  before  he  is  born,  cheats  every  one,  even 
his  own  mother,  and  shows  himself  "the  best 


232  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

man  in  the  village  "  when  he  is  only  a  babe. 
Says  his  father,  ''  He  's  best  man  who  first  gets 
hold  of  this  leg  of  beef  that  I  throw  into  the 
kraal."  So  all  the  rest  crowded  to  the  entrance, 
and  pushed  so  that  none  could  get  it.  But 
Uthlakanyana  crept  in  underneath  at  the  far 
end,  and  got  the  beef  without  any  trouble. 
Later  on  he  is  captured  by  cannibals,  and  he 
treats  them  just  as  trolls  and  giants  are  served 
in  Norse  and  Celtic  tales.  They  go  out  one 
day  while  he  is  fattening,  leaving  no  one  with 
him  but  the  old  mother.  "  Just  untie  me," 
says  he,  "and  let  us  play  at  boiling  one 
another."  She  agrees.  "  Begin  with  me  ;  but 
mind  you  take  me  out  soon,  for  it 's  only  play." 
The  water  is  only  lukewarm,  and  the  canni- 
bal's mother  keeps  her  word,  so  he  gets  out 
unhurt,  and  builds  up  a  roaring  fire,  telling  the 
silly  woman  it  will  be  all  the  more  fun  if  the 
water 's  dancing  about.  So  he  pops  her  in 
and  holds  down  the  lid.  "Let  me  out!"  she 
screams.  "  It 's  burning  me  dreadfully  ;  it 's 
only  fun,  you  know."  "  No  ;  you  can't  be 
done,  or  you  would  not  be  able  to  make  that 
noise ; "  so  he  boils  her  till  she  says  no  more. 
Then  he  puts  on  her  clothes,  and  lies  down  in 
the  old  woman's  corner.  When  the  children 
come  in  they  begin  to  eat.  "This  looks  just 
like  mother's  hand,"  says  one.  "  No,"  says 
another ;  "  how  can  that  be  ?  There  's  mother 
on  the  bed."  But  Uthlakanyana  thinks  it  best 
to  be  off ;  so,  disguising  his  voice,  he  bids  them 
leave  the  doorway  clear  and  hobbles  out.     Just 


Zulu  Folklore.  233 


as  he  rushes  off  they  fish  up  their  mother's 
head,  and  start  in  pursuit.  He  is  brought  up 
by  a  wide  river ;  so  he  turns  himself  into  a 
weeding-stick.  The  cannibals  trace  his  foot- 
steps to  the  brink.  "  Yes,"  says  one,  "  he 
must  have  got  across  just  here,"  flinging  over 
the  stick  to  emphasize  his  words.  Safe  on  the 
other  bank,  Uthlakanyana  resumes  his  shape, 
and  thanks  them  for  putting  him  across.  "  We 
thought  you  were  a  weeding-stick,"  replied  the 
discomfited  cannibals.  But  Uthlakanyana  is 
now  very  hungry  :  so,  meeting  a  hare,  he  says, 
"  Stop,  master,  I  've  got  such  a  pretty  story  to 
tell  you."  "  I  'm  sure  I  don't  want  to  hear  it," 
says  puss.  "  Ah,  but  if  you  were  to  hear  the 
beginning  of  it,  you  'd  not  be  able  to  help 
listening."  "Yes,  I  should,  though,"  persists 
the  hare.  "  Do  you  know  it 's  all  about  those 
horrid  cannibals ;  they  had  me  cooped  up,  but 
I  managed  to  boil  their  — ■  "  And  as  the  hare, 
in  spite  of  himself,  is  stopping  to  listen,  our 
hero  gets  hold  of  liim,  eats  him,  and  makes  a 
flute  of  one  of  his  leg-bones. 

The  Zulus  have  another  legend  of  Uthla- 
kanyana. He  lived  with  a  cannibal,  with  whom 
he  had  a  quarrel,  and  resolving  to  make  away 
with  him,  he  hit  on  the  following  expedient. 
He  said  one  day:  "  Uncle,  let  us  build  a  house; 
.  then  we  shall  live  comfortably  and  eat  our 
cattle."  The  cannibal  replied,  "  You  are  right, 
child  of  my  sister :  let  us  build  a  house,  for  we 
shall  get  wet."  When  the  time  came  to  thatch 
the  hut,  Uthlakanyana   said    to    the    cannibal, 


234  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

"  You  go  on  the  top,  and  I  will  go  inside  and 
l)ull  the  thatching  needle  for  you."  The  canni- 
bal did  so.  His  hair  being  very  long,  Uthla- 
kanyana  contrives  to  knot  it  into  the  thatch, 
fastening  it  so  that  the  poor  cannibal  could  not 
extricate  himself,  and  there  he  died,  leaving 
Uthlakanyana  to  eat  in  peace. 

The  Zulus  have  their  riddles,  of  which  the 
following  are  specimens  :  ^ 

1.  "  Guess  a  man  who  does  not  lie  down  ;  even 
when  it  is  morning,  he  is  standing,  not  having 
lain  down." 

Ansiver.  "  A  pillar,  for  it  does  not  lie  down. 
If  the  pillar  lies  down,  the  house  may  fall.  Do 
you  not  see  that  the  pillar  is  a  man,  since  it 
upholds  so  great  a  house  as  this  ?  But  it  does 
not  fall." 

2.  "  Guess  ye  a  man  who  docs  not  move, 
although  the  wind  blows  furiously ;  he  just 
stands  erect.  The  wind  throws  down  trees  and 
houses,  and  much  injury  is  done,  but  he  is  just 
as  if  the  sky  were  perfectly  calm,  and  does  not 
move  in  the  least." 

Answer.  "The  ear.  Who  ever  saw  the  ear 
of  a  man  move,  or  being  moved  by  the  wind  ? 
We  see  trees  and  grass  and  houses  move,  but 
not  the  ear.  The  man  truly  moves ;  if  he  is 
carried  away  by  the  wind,  the  ear  is  not  car- 
ried away,  or,  if  he  falls,  it  still  stands  erect,  or, 
if  he  runs  away,  it  remains  the  same." 

3.  "  Guess  ye  some  men  who  are  walking, 
being  ten  in  number.     If  there  is  one  over  the 

•  Callaway's  Nursery  Tales. 


Zulu  Folklore.  235 


ten,  these  ten  men  do  not  go.  They  say,  '  "We 
cannot  go,  for  here  is  a  prodigy.'  These  men 
wonder  exceedingly;  they  are  slow  in  settling 
the  dispute,  saying,  '  How  is  it  that  onr  number 
is  over  ten  ? '  They  have  no  love  for  the  one 
over  the  ten." 

Ansiver.  "The  fingers.  Their  proper  number 
is  only  ten.  They  are  matched,  going  in  pairs. 
Therefore  if  there  is  a  supernumerary  finger, 
they  are  no  longer  fit  to  go  together  in  pairs 
or  to  count  with ;  their  counting  is  bad ;  there 
is  no  agreement,  but  only  differeiice.  This  is 
what  we  mean  when  we  say  they  are  slow  in 
settling  the  dispute  ;  that  is,  if  it  could  be  done 
without  pain  —  the  supernumerary  finger  could 
be  taken  off  with  a  word,  and  thus  truly  it  would 
be  said,  '  Away  with  you  !  You  are  not  fit  for 
this  place.' " 

The  preceding,  chiefly  taken  from  Dr.  Calla- 
way's "  Nursery  Tales,  Traditions,  and  Histories 
of  the  Zulus,"  are  sufficient,  I  trust,  to  show 
that  the  people  have  a  traditional  lore  which 
throws  light  on  their  history  and  character. 


CHAPTER   XXVL 

DECEASED   MISSIONAKIES    OF   THE 
A.  B.  C.  F.  M. 

IN  the  first  part  of  this  volume  sketches 
were  given  of  three  of  that  heroic  hund  of 
missionaries,  twelve  in  number,  who  left  this 
country  for  South  Africa,  December  3,  1834. 
At  Cape  Town,  Messrs.  Venable,  Lindley,  and 
Dr.  Wilson,  with  their  wives,  separated  from 
the  others  and  undertook  the  perilous  enter- 
prise of  establishing  a  mission  among  the 
Matabele  Zulus,  who  lived  far  inland.  War 
between  the  Dutch  and  natives  soon  put  an 
end  to  their  work,  and,  after  burying  one  of 
their  number,  Mis.  Wilson,  they  joined  the 
mission  in  Zululand.  The  prospects  being 
dark,  Dr.  Wilson  and  Mr.  Venable  and  wife 
returned  home.  Rev.  George  Champion,  a 
colaborer  of  Mr.  Grout  and  Dr.  Adams,  held 
on  till  his  wife's  health  obliged  him  to  leave. 
He  was  expecting  to  return,  but  the  Lord 
determined  otherwise.  At  the  early  age  of 
thirty-one  he  died  at  Santa  Cruz,  one  of  the 
Danish  West  India  Islands,  December  17,  1841. 
All  who  knew  him  recall  his  sweet  disposi- 
tion, scholarly  ability,  and  liberality.  Having 
inherited  property,  he  went  to  Africa  and 
labored   there   at   his    own    expense,   showing 

236 


Deceased  Missionaries.  237 


throughout  an  earnest  missionary  spirit.  The 
savor  of  his  self-denial  and  consecration  has  not 
been  lost. 

There  comes   fresh   before    m}'-  memory  the 
form   of  a   dear   brother,   who    was    the    first 
American    missionary  to  be    buried   in    South 
African    soil,    the    Rev.    James    Bryant.     He 
joined  the  mission   in    1846,  but   died   of  pul- 
monary    consumption     in     1850.      One     well 
observed  in  regard  to    him,  "  He    was   a   man 
whose   life  in  Africa,  though   short,  emphatic- 
ally answered  life's  great  end."     He  possessed 
in  an  uncommon    degree    those    qualities   that 
make    a    faultless    missionary.     Mr.    Bryant's 
early  history  is  peculiar.     His  parents,  too  poor 
to   support   all    the    members   of    their    large 
family,    committed   James   to    the    care    of    a 
pious  colored  man    named   Cato,  who    resided 
in  Goffstown,  N.  H.     Cato  and  his  wife  took 
the  lonely  lad  to    their  humble  dwelling,  and 
to    their    hearts.      Mrs.    Cato,   in   giving    her 
reminiscences    of    young    Bryant,    said,    "  Oh, 
he  was  like   a   minister.     If  any   of   the  boys 
used    bad   language   in   his   presence,    or    con- 
ducted  improperly,   he   was   sure    to    reprove 
them."     After  his  conversion    he  was  assisted 
by  some  friends  to  prepare  for  college.     Grad- 
uating from  Amherst,  "  a  good  scholar  and  ripe 
Christian,"    he  went   to   Andover    Theological 
Seminary.      For    a    time    he    was    settled    in 
Littleton,     Mass.;     but    when     the     call    for 
men  to  go  to  Africa    reached  him  he  at  once 
responded.     Probably  liis   love   for   the    black 


238  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

race,  and  a  desire  to  pay  the  debt  of  gratitude 
lie  owed,  led  him  to  choose  the  African  field. 
He  quickly  mastered  the  language  ;  translated 
parts  of  the  Bible,  and  composed  some  beauti- 
ful hymns.  All  his  works,  even  to  his  neat 
and  clear  chirography,  had  a  finished  look. 
His  brief  period  of  service  yielded  richer 
results  than  are  given  to  many,  for  before  his 
death  he  had  the  joy  of  seeing  a  church 
gathered  through  his  instrumentality.  His 
mind  was  clear  to  the  last.  Mr.  Lindley,  at 
whose  house  he  expired,  expressed  the  feelings 
of  his  brethren  and  sisters  when  he  said :  "  We 
loved  him  exceedingly,  and  had  it  been  possi- 
ble for  others  to  bear  the  pain  of  his  sickness, 
we  should  all  have  wished  to  endure  a  part. 
At  our  next  meeting  when  he  shall  be  spoken 
of,  we  shall  weep  together,  as  good  brothers  of 
the  same  family  weep  together  for  the  loss  of 
the  best  brother  they  had.  And  why  not? 
He  never  spoke  to  us  or  thought  of  us  other- 
wise than  in  love." 

In  Rev.  Samuel  Marsh  we  all  felt  that  we 
had  a  genial,  loving,  and  helpful  friend. 
Located  at  Itafamasi,  he  labored  for  six  years, 
and  not  without  encouragement.  Then  he 
was  stricken  with  disease.  Though  his  suffer- 
ings were  intense,  he  never  lost  his  faith  in 
God  or  uttered  a  word  of  complaint.  After  a 
paroxysm  of  pain,  he  once  asked  :  "  Why  do  I 
linger  here  ?  "  And  when  told  it  seemed  to  be 
God's  will  that  he  should  glorify  him  by  suffer- 
ing,  he   remarked,    "  Oh,  yes,   it   is   all   right. 


Deceased  Missionaries.  239 

Heavenly  Father,  thy  will  be  done."  Allusion 
having  been  made  to  his  wife  and  child,  he 
said,  "  I  have  no  concern  for  them  ;  the  Lord 
can  take  better  care  of  them  than  I  can." 
Once,  I  remember,  he  clasped  his  hands  and 
prayed  most  earnestly  that  God  would  make 
him  grateful  for  the  kind  friends  who  were 
caring  for  him  in  his  sickness  and  that  he 
might  be  patient  and  submissive  under  all  his 
sufferings.  He  delighted  to  have  me  read  him 
a  book  on  "  Consolation,"  by  Dr.  J.  W.  Alex- 
ander. As  he  approached  the  dark  valley  his 
faith  grew  stronger  and  stronger.  Then  I 
asked  him  what  was  his  trust,  and  he  imme- 
diately responded,  '•'•The  finished  work  of  Christ^ 
His  end  was  calm  and  peaceful.  Without  a 
struggle  his  soul  passed  into  the  arms  of  his 
Saviour.  The  "  Good  Pilot,"  as  he  called  the 
Lord  Jesus  just  before  his  departure,  conducted 
him  safely  into  the  harbor. 

His  remains  lie  at  the  station  he  founded,  and 
on  the  hill  where  he  loved  to  call  together  the 
heathen  and  tell  the  story  of  redeeming  love. 

Mr.  Lindley,  who  saw  more  of  him  than  most 
of  his  brethren,  observed :  "  During  all  the 
time  he  was  in  health,  and  in  sickness,  he 
never  said,  or  did,  or  left  undone  a  single  thing 
which  tended  even  in  the  least  degree  to 
weaken  the  conviction  deep  in  the  minds  of  all 
who  knew  him  that  he  was  eminently  a  man  of 
God.  In  his  family  he  ever  appeared  as  a  beau- 
tiful model  of  a  husband  and  father.  ...  He 
was  true  and  faithful  and  loving  and  generous 


240  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

iu  all  the  relations  and  duties  of  life.  It  was 
with  an  emphasis  that  we  called  him  '  brother,' 
so  much  was  lie  loved  by  us  all." 

One  whose  influence  will  long  be  felt  among 
the  Zulus  was  Rev.  Silas  Mclvinny,  who  went 
to  Natal  in  1847.  Readily  mastering  the  lan- 
guage, he  saw  much  good  accomplished  at  his 
station,  Amahlongwa,  but  liealth  failed  and  he 
came  home.  He  preached  in  various  places  in 
this  country  with  acceptance,  and  died  at  Au- 
burn, N.  Y.,  April  21,  1888.  It  was  well  said  of 
him,  "  He  was  a  tender,  loving  parent,  a  faith- 
ful Christian,  and  a  devoted  and  self-forgetful 
minister  of  the  gospel." 

Two  years  before  he  left  Natal,  his  wife, 
Fanny  Nelson  McKiniiy,  "  slept  in  Jesus,"  and 
was  buried  in  the  little  cemetery  at  Adams. 
Although  of  a  timid,  shrinking  disposition,  her 
calm,  good  judgment  and  earnest  faithfulness 
as  a  Christian  wife  and  mother  endeared  her 
to  all  who  knew  her.  It  may  be  said  of  her, 
"  She  hath  done  what  she  could." 

Another  beloved  missionary.  Rev.  William 
Ireland,  born  in  England,  but  educated  in  this 
country,  died  in  Boston,  Mass.,  October  12, 1888, 
after  forty  years  of  service. 

Leaving  his  wife  in  Africa,  he  came  home  to 
rest,  visit  his  children,  and  then  resume  his 
labors.  But  the  Lord  said,  "  Come  up  higher.'" 
He  spent  the  first  thirteen  years  of  his  useful 
mission  life  at  Ifumi.  He  was  then  requested 
to  take  charge  of  the  training  institution  at 
Adams,  a  work  for  which  he  had  exceptional 


Deceased  Missionaries.  24l 

qualifications.  Through  his  instrumentality 
that  school  gradually  rose  to  great  importance. 
Mr.  Ireland  was  for  many  years  treasurer  of  the 
Zulu  Mission,  and  was  so  correct  and  so  good  a 
penman  that  his  books  will  compare  favorably 
with  those  of  the  best  mercantile  establishments. 
He  was  methodical,  conscientious,  kind,  and 
sympathetic,  an  affectionate  husband  and  father, 
gentlemanly  in  his  manners,  a  safe  counselor, 
and,  above  all,  spiritually  minded  and  earnestly 
devoted  to  mission  work.  He  was  married 
twice  :  first,  to  Jane  Wilson,  of  New  Ipswich, 
Mass.,  who  died  at  Ifumi,  January  25,  1862. 
His  second  wife  was  Oriana  Grout,  daughter  of 
Rev.  Aldin  Grout,  the  missionary.  She  still  re- 
mains in  the  field. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  when  Mr. 
Wilder  and  myself,  with  our  wives,  sailed  for 
Natal,  we  were  accompanied  by  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
Andrew  Abraham.  They  were  located  in  a 
distant  part  of  Natal  among  wild  heathen,  and 
there  they  remained  till  death.  Mr.  Abraham 
was  not  unworthy  of  the  name,  "  Father  of  the 
faithful."  His  faith  never  wavered,  though  he 
toiled  long  without  seeing  results.  When  a 
brighter  day  dawned,  and  he  beheld  the  hea- 
then emerging  from  barbarism,  and  building 
houses  in  European  style,  his  faith  rose  wonder- 
fully. He  said  to  me  one  day,  as  we  were 
riding  over  the  mission  reserve,  "  Brother  Tyler, 
I  expect  to  see  most  of  these  hills  covered  with 
the  abodes  of  Christian  natives."  He  was  per- 
mitted to  see  a  goodly  number   of  them  thus 


242  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

covered.  Nothing  seemed  to  discourage  him. 
One  day  lie  was  cementing  a  cistern,  and  came 
out  just  in  time  to  see  his  house  enveloped  in 
ihimes.  Ten  minutes  later,  his  chapel  also 
was  consumed.  Although  minus  hat,  boots, 
and  coat,  he  did  not  despair,  but  began  immedi- 
ately to  build  anew,  nor  did  he  stop  till  he  had 
a  more  substantial  dwelling.  His  death  in  the 
night  of  September  13,  1878,  was  very  sudden, 
and  probably  due  to  heart  disease,  as  he  ap- 
peared in  usual  health  the  day  previous.  He 
was  considered  our  best  translator,  and  to 
him  the  mission  had  committed  the  work  of 
preparing  the  Old  Testament  for  the  press. 
The  grief  of  not  only  his  associates,  but  of  all 
the  natives  who  knew  him,  was  profound  when 
told  of  his  death.  A  chief  remarked,  "Our 
teacher  was  a  good  man  and  did  good  to  all." 

Mrs.  Abraham  lived  but  a  short  time  after 
her  husband's  decease.  The  shock  she  received 
may  have  hastened  her  own  departure.  That 
she  was  his  true  helper  in  mission  work  the 
native  women  at  Mapumulo  as  well  as  all  who 
knew  her  can  testify. 

A  more  genial  and  humorous  companion,  a 
missionary  with  a  more  practical  turn  of  mind 
than  Rev.  H.  A.  Wilder  is  rarely  found  in  a 
foreign  field ;  as  one  said  of  him,  he  had  a 
"many-sided  capacity."  He  was  so  absorbed 
in  plans  to  advance  the  natives  in  civilization, 
as  well  as  Christianity,  he  probably  overworked 
himself.  In  taking  a  long  journey  to  select  a 
site  for  a  nev/  station,  he  had  a  severe  attack 


Deceased  Missionaries.  243 

of  illness,  from  which  he  never  fully  recovered. 
He  died  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  September  7,  1877. 
His  son,  Rev.  George  Wilder,  occupies  the  sta- 
tion made  vacant  by  the  death  of  his  father. 
Mrs.  Wilder  is  now  in  this  country. 

Rev.  Seth  B.  Stone  began  his  work  at  the 
Ifafa  station  in  1850.  Faithful  as  a  preacher, 
busily  employed  iu  translating  parts  of  the 
Bible,  composing  hymns,  teaching  and  dis- 
charging other  missionary  duties,  he  continued 
in  the  field  till  the  ill  health  of  his  wife  neces- 
sitated his  return  to  America.  His  heart  was 
in  Africa,  and  to  the  last  his  prayers  were  for 
the  good  of  the  Zulus.  His  death  occurred  in 
New  York  City,  January  27,  1877.  His  widow 
is  still  living. 

Joining  the  mission  in  1862,  Rev.  Charles  H. 
Lloyd  entered  on  his  work  with  a  spirit  of 
earnest  consecration.  Battling  with  disease,  he 
was  ever  patient  and  showed  true  Christian 
submission.  He  lived  only  two  years,  dying 
at  the  Umvoti  Mission  station,  in  1865.  Mr. 
Grout  wrote  of  him  :  "  When  the  shortness  of 
his  missionary  life  was  referred  to,  he  said, '  Yes, 
I  would  have  had  it  otherwise  :  but  I  have  not 
a  doubt  that  God  called  me  here,  and  I  am 
glad  I  came.  If  God  cuts  my  life  thus  short, 
I  can  only  say.  Thy  will  be  done.'  "  At  his 
request,  he  was  buried  near  a  large  tree  in 
front  of  the  native  church,  that  the  people 
might  be  reminded  of  one  who  had  it  in  his 
heart  to  preach  to  them  the  gospel. 

Mr.  Lloyd  was  an  accomplished  gentleman. 


244  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 


a  fine  musician,  with  a  large  share  of  practical 
common  sense,  was  quick  to  read  character  and 
anxious  to  know  the  best  metliods  of  doing 
good.  Had  he  lived,  he  would  doubtless  have 
proved  an  efficient  and  successful  missionary. 
His  death-bed  testimony  of  the  power  of  reli- 
gion to  sustain  and  comfort  the  soul  will  never 
be  forgotten  by  the  natives  on  the  Umvoti 
station. 

Mrs.  Catharine  C.  Lloyd,  daughter  of  the 
distinguished  physician.  Dr.  Willard  Parker,  of 
New  York  City,  remained  in  Natal  after  the 
death  of  her  husband,  working  with  enthusiasm 
and  success,  until  1870.  She  then  married  Dr. 
Newton  Lindley,  son  of  the  missionary.  Rev. 
Daniel  Lindley,  and  returned  soon  after  to  this 
country.  She  died  in  New  York,  July  23, 
1879. 

We  cannot  speak  too  highly  of  this  self- 
denying  and  laborious  missionary.  Thoroughly 
educated,  in  possession  of  all  that  wealth  could 
furnish,  she  left  her  refined  home  and  labored 
earnestly  and  untiringly  for  the  degraded 
Zulus.  Great  was  her  joy  when  she  was  per- 
mitted to  see  a  large  number  of  them  emanci- 
])ated  from  ignorance  and  superstition  through 
her  efforts.  While  in  the  field,  she  wrote  let- 
ters home  which  awakened  deep  interest,  and 
whicli  were  collected  in  a  volume  entitled 
"The  Seeds  and  the  Sheaves,"  published  by 
Randolph  &  Co. 

Rev.  Elijah  Robbins  began  mission  work  in 
1851  at    Umzunibe,    where   he    remained   thir- 


Deceased  Missionaries.  245 

teen  years.  He  then  established  a  theological 
school  at  Adams,  the  success  of  which  is  in  a 
great  measure  the  fruit  of  his  zeal  and  perse- 
verance. Native  preachers,  now  in  various 
parts  of  the  field,  are  ready  to  testify  to  the 
diligence  and  thoroughness  of  their  teacher. 
He  died  July  1,  1889,  joining  his  wife  in  the 
"  better  land."  Mrs.  Robbins  had  died  only  a 
few  months  previously.  Testimonies  of  the 
worth  of  Mrs.  Addie  Bissell  Robbins  are  im- 
pressive and  tender.  One  is  from  the  pen  of 
Rev.  Charles  Kilbon,  who  knew  her  well :  "  A 
precious  wife  and  mother  has  gone  from  the 
home  which  she  lighted  by  her  smile  and  ani- 
mated and  inspired  by  her  buoyant  and  ener- 
getic nature.  A  beloved  companion  in  work 
has  been  taken  from  our  mission  circle.  A 
vigorous  worker  for  the  good  of  this  people 
has  forever  ceased  from  her  labors.  How  she 
used,  with  her  light  and  agile  form,  in  days  of 
health,  to  flit  from  house  to  house  over  the 
station,  leaving  words  of  instruction,  of  warn- 
ing, of  comfort,  as  needed  !  She  has  gone  to  a 
higher  sphere  of  activity,  where  she  will  never 
tire." 

Mrs.  Holbrook,  of  Mapumulo,  wrote  :  "  She 
was  a  rare  woman,  beloved  by  natives  and 
whites  alike.  An  enthusiastic  missionary,  a 
consecrated  Christian,  devoted  to  her  family, 
her  people,  and  her  God." 

Rev.  David  Rood,  who  died  in  Covert,  Mich., 
April  8,  1891,  entered  the  field  in  1847,  together 
with  Rev.  Samuel  Marsh. 


246  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

After  forty  years  of  faithful  service  he  came 
to  this  country  to  rest,  but  did  not  wholly  aban- 
don the  liope  of  a  return  to  Africa  till  a  short 
time  before  his  death.  He  wrote  to  me  repeat- 
edly, saying,  "  My  heart  is  there."  Rev.  Lewis 
Grout,  one  of  his  early  associates,  truthfully 
says  of  him :  ''  He  was  gentle,  quiet,  modest, 
winning  in  his  ways,  yet  strong,  courageous, 
earnest,  confident  in  his  work,  assured  that  it 
was  God  who  would  make  it  to  prosper  and 
prevail." 

As  I  remarked  in  the  first  part  of  this  vol- 
ume, it  was  through  Mr.  Rood's  instrumentality 
that  I  was  led  to  choose  Natal  as  my  field  of 
labor.  Soon  after  reaching  that  colony,  my 
wife  and  I  paid  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rood  a  visit. 
Their  station  was  far  removed  from  the  abodes 
of  white  men,  and  their  surroundings  were  what 
most  people  would  call  gloomy  in  the  extreme. 
But  those  devoted  missionaries  seemed  to  be 
in  the  enjoyment  of  genuine  happiness.  Their 
hearty  and  sincere  welcome  to  a  participation 
in  their  joys  nerved  us  for  our  future  labors. 

Our  lamented  brotlier  early  acquired  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  Zulu  dialect,  and  was  able  to  preach 
in  it  far  more  easily  than  he  could  in  English. 
He  threw  his  whole  soul  into  the  work  and 
thoroughly  enjoyed  it.  He  occupied  various 
impoi'tant  posts,  but  his  greatest  work  was  at 
the  Umvoti  station.  While  chairman  of  the 
mission,  he  manifested  wisdom,  decision,  and  a 
tender  regard  for  the  feelings  of  his  brethren. 
In  translating  the  Scriptures  and  preparing  ele- 


Deceased  Missionaries.  247 

mentary  books  for  our  schools,  he  was  thorough 
and  skillful ;  but  he  excelled  as  a  preacher  and 
spiritual  adviser.  His  last  conversation  was 
about  Jesus  Christ,  the  "  Rock  "  on  which  he 
had  built  his  faith  and  hope,  and  his  last  words 
were,  "  I  am  going  home."  When  unable  to 
speak,  a  pleasant  smile  on  his  countenance  was 
a  response  to  a  brother's  inquiry.  He  died  as 
he  had  lived,  a  true  Christian  man,  one  who 
had  no  occasion  for  fears  or  sighs  or  regrets. 
He  left  the  wife  of  his  youth  and  sharer  of  his 
toils,  and  his  two  children,  with  the  sweet  con- 
sciousness that  heaven  was  his  home.  He  has 
joined  the  sainted  Adams,  Lindley,  Bryant, 
Marsh,  and  other  fellow-toilers  in  the  African 
vineyard,  and  Zulus  also,  saved  through  his 
instrumentality.  I  think  of  him  as  beckoning 
to  the  old  soldiers  who  fought  by  his  side  for 
King  Immanuel  on  Afric's  dark  coast  to  join 
him  in  the  better  land,  where  they  can  recount 
battles  fought  and  victories  won. 

Rev.  Jacob  L.  Dohne,  a  German,  who  was  for 
several  years  connected  with  the  mission,  died 
in  1879.  He  was  a  fine  linguist,  and  prepared 
an  elaborate  dictionary  of  the  Zulu  language 
containing  over  10,000  words.  Of  this  work  a 
competent  judge  remarked:  ''It  is  not  only  the 
first  dictionary  of  a  South  African  tongue  that 
can  claim  any  approximation  to  completeness, 
but  is  also  a  living  monument  to  the  author's 
industry,  careful  observation,  and  unfaltering 
perseverance." 

The  mother  of  Rev.  Mvron  Winslow  Pinker- 


248  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

ton  died  when  her  son  was  three  years  old,  but 
when  she  gave  him  the  above  name,  she  said, 
'•  I  hope  he  will  be  a  missionary."  While  in 
college  Mr.  Pinkerton  said  that  the  wish  of  his 
mother,  which  had  been  made  known  to  him  as 
soon  as  he  could  comprehend  it,  would  often 
come  to  his  mind.  Later,  when  the  time  came 
for  him  to  choose  his  field,  he  observed,  "  Per- 
haps there  will  be  men  who  would  wish  to  go 
to  Turkey  and  Japan,  while  few  will  go  to 
Africa." 

The  station  he  occupied  at  first  was  Umtwa- 
lume,  in  company  with  Mr.  Wilder  ;  but  in  1875 
he  moved  to  a  place  called  Induduma,  more 
than  a  hundred  miles  from  any  of  his  l)rethren. 
There  he  toiled  until  the  inquiry  arose,  "  Who 
will  explore  Umzila's  country  with  reference 
to  sending  men  there?" 

Well  do  I  remember  his  appearance  and 
his  words  when  his  brethren  said  to  him,  "  It 
is  our  unanimous  opinion  that  you  are  the 
man."  "You  place,"  he  observed,  "a  solemn 
and  fearful  responsibility  on  me ;  but  if  it  is 
God's  will,  I  will  not  shrink  from  it."  He  took 
his  wife  and  children  to  America,  because,  as 
he  remarked,  of  the  possibility  of  his  being 
removed  by  deatli,  while  away. 

1  might  particularize  with  regard  to  the  hope- 
fulness and  courage  with  which  he  met  obsta- 
cle after  obstacle  in  his  attempts  to  start  on- 
that  long  and  perilous  journey.  In  the  inscru- 
table providence  of  God,  he  was  smitten  with 
malarial   fever   and    died   while   on    the   way, 


Mrs.  Susan  W.  Tylek. 


Deceased  Missionaries.  249 

November  10,  1880.  He  was  buried  under  a 
large,  moss-covered  tree,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Gabula  River,  a  native  Christian  reading  the 
funeral  service. 

A  nobler,  more  enthusiastic  and  self-reliant 
missionary  than  Mr.  Pinkerton  it  would  be 
difficult  to  find.  Why  he  was  so  suddenly  cut 
down  in  the  strength  of  manhood  and  midst 
of  usefulness  we  cannot  tell.  The  Lord  will 
doubtless  reveal  to  us  the  reason  in  another 
world. 

Mrs.  Pinkerton  now  resides  in  Chicago,  111. 

Mr.  John  A.  Butler,  whose  narrow  escape 
from  a  crocodile  has  already  been  mentioned, 
responded  to  a  call  for  a  missionary  printer,  and 
went  to  Natal  in  1850.  His  health  was  so 
weakened  by  the  terrible  ordeal  through  which 
he  had  passed  that  he  was  forced  soon  to  return 
to  America.  Though  never  again  robust,  his 
life  was  greatly  prolonged  by  the  unwearied 
care  of  his  wife.  He  died  August  27,  1889, 
leaving  a  widow  and  two  children. 

Of  her  who  was  the  companion  of  my  joys 
and  sorrows,  the  light  of  my  dwelling,  the  de- 
voted wife,  mother,  and  missionary,  I  must  leave 
others  to  speak.  A  brother  w^th  whom  we  had 
been  associated  from  the  first,  one  who  soon  fol- 
lowed her  to  the  heavenly  world,  Mr.  Ireland, 
wrote  as  follows  :  "  Becoming  a  Christian  in  early 
life,  Mrs.  Tyler  gave  herself  to  missionary  work 
with  all  her  heart  and  soul,  and  during  all  these 
years  has  impressed  those  who  had  the  privi- 
lege of  knowing  her,  as  one  who  possessed  an 


250  Forty  Yean  Among  the  Zulus. 

unusually  faultless  character,  and  whose  life 
was  filled  with  Christian  consecration.  Her 
interest  in  the  Zulus  was  ever  finding  ways  to 
manifest  itself  m  their  behalf,  especially  in  her 
judicious  advice  to  them  when  in  trouble. 
Hence  we  are  not  surprised  that  large  numbers 
of  them,  both  Christians  and  heathen,  learned 
implicitly  to  trust  and  love  her,  oftentimes  bet- 
ter than  their  own  kindred.  .  .  .  As  long  as  she 
was  able  to  converse,  her  room  was  the  center  of 
peacefulness,  brightness,  and  jo}',  and  she  begged 
to  have  no  sorrow  or  gloom  felt,  or  tears  shed, 
as  she  was  simply 'going  home.'  Her  earnest 
words  of  appeal  to  the  natives  who  entered  her 
sick  room,  or,  when  too  weak  to  speak,  her 
bright  smile  and  peaceful  face,  were  powerful 
influences  for  good.  At  the  funeral  service  it 
was  truthfully  said,  '  The  grave  has  not  closed 
in  Natal  over  one  who  led  a  purer,  gentler,  and 
more  useful  life.'  "  Mrs.  Pixley,  a  missionary, 
wrote  as  follows  :  — 

"  A  large  company  of  both  Christian  and 
heathen  natives  gathered  at  the  burial,  coming 
from  a  distance  in  the  surrounding  region,  and 
from  her  old  Esidumbini  station.  It  was  pa- 
thetic to  see  one  old  heathen  man,  the  day  after 
the  funeral,  come  weeping  that  he  had  not 
received  word  in  time  for  him  to  take  a  last 
look  at  his  dear  teacher's  face,  and  mourn  with 
others  at  her  burial.  .  .  .  During  the  last  weeks 
of  her  illness,  she  had  such  a  sweet  assurance 
because  of  her  perfect  trust  in  Christ,  that 
peace,  perfect  peace,  was  her  motto.     She  loved 


Deceased  Missionaries.  251 

to  talk  of  Christ  and  his  nearness,  and  spoke 
much  of  Bible  study.  Her  room  was  cheery, 
bright,  and  the  center  of  joy  and  peace.  While 
we  mourn  the  loss  of  such  a  friend  and  fellow- 
worker,  we  rejoice  in  her  bright  example,  pray- 
ing that  her  mantle  may  fall  upon  us  with  a 
double  portion  of  the  spirit  which  characterized 
her,  and  that  the  seed  sown  by  her,  in  prayer 
and  labor  for  the  people,  may  grow  into  an 
abuixhint  harvest.  ...  In  her  long  missionary 
life  she  was  permitted  to  see  many  spiritual 
children,  and  many,  we  doubt  not,  were  waiting 
for  her  at  the  gate  of  the  City,  as  she  en- 
tered in." 

A  friend  in  this  country  wrote  of  her :  — 

"  Those  who  knew  Mrs.  Tyler  could  not  fail 
to  recognize  her  as  one  who  had  so  trained  her- 
self that  all  Christian  dispositions,  a  tranquil 
nature,  a  loving  spirit,  meekness,  gentleness, 
disinterestedness,  had  become  so  habitual  as  to 
be  unconscious  to  herself.  And  yet,  with  this 
measure  of  quiet  grace,  she  was  eminent  in 
active  labors.     She  '  labored  much  in  the  Lord.' 

"  It  has  been  said, '  The  best  work  given  to  any 
missionary  is  the  ordering  of  a  Christian  home 
in  a  heathen  land.'  This,  in  connection  with 
her  work  for  the  heathen,  Mrs.  Tyler  perfectly 
fulfilled.  The  home  over  which  she  presided 
so  brightly  and  usefully  was  characterized  by 
the  grace  and  cheer  and  restfulness  of  the  home 
which  Jesus  loved  at  Bethany. 

"  She  spent  her  life  in  cultivating  the  ideal 
and  practical  side  of  character  among  the  Zulus, 


252  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

heathen  and  Christian,  showing  by  her  own  ex- 
ample the  value  of  a  life  that  blends  spiritual 
truth  and  care-takiiig,  home-making  duties  in 
one  rounded  whole." 

On  the  seventeenth  of  November,  1887,  she 
fell  asleep  and  awakened  to  be  "  forever  with 
the  Lord." 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

NATIVE    EDUCATION. 

NATIVE  education  is  receiving  more 
attention  than  ever,  not  only  from 
American,  but  other  societies.  Our  hope  for 
the  future  regeneration  of  Africa  lies  in  the 
young.  Consequently,  training  institutions  for 
youth  of  both  sexes,  at  central  points,  are 
deemed  a  necessity.  They  are  not  designed  to 
take  the  place  of  primary  schools,  but  to 
advance  pupils  to  a  higher  stage. 

Of  these  institutions,  the  Amanzimtote 
Seminary  at  Adams  is  at  present  the  only 
training  school  for  Zulu  lads  connected  with 
the  American  mission.  This  was  commenced 
in  1805,  by  Rev.  William  Ireland.  The 
medium  of  instruction  is  the  English  language, 
which  pupils  must  understand  to  a  certain 
degree  before  entrance.  Connected  with  the 
seminary  is  an  industrial  department,  in  which 
are  taught  carpentering,  blacksmithing,  shoe- 
making,  and  printing.  Tlie  great  object  in 
view  is  to  give  practical  training.  Its 
religious  character  is  of  a  high  order,  the 
teachers  aiming  first  of  all  at  moral  regener- 
ation, without  which  their  training  may  prove  a 
curse  instead  of  a  blessing.  Stress  is  laid  upon 
Bible  study,  and  the  importance  of  overcoming 

253 


254  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

hereditary  prejudices  and  superstitions.  Its 
record  thus  far  is  u  noble  one.  Most  of  its 
graduates  are  useful  members  of  society,  some 
of  them  being  teachers  and  preachers. 

Jubilee  Hall  was  opened  in  December,  1885, 
at  the  semi-centennial  anniversary  of  the  mission. 
It  is  a  large,  commodious  structure,  accommo- 
dating about  one  hundred  pupils,  and  costing 
$15,000,  a  part  of  which  was  contributed  by 
American  friends  and  the  remainder  by  Natal 
colonists.  Beautifully  located  on  a  grassy  hill 
sloping  towards  the  river  Amanzimtote  (^sweet 
water^y  it  commands  a  fine  view  of  the  Indian 
Ocean,  eight  miles  distant.  Here  the  students 
find  a  true  home. 

Those  interested  in  this  institution  hope 
much  for  its  future.  If  funds  are  forthcoming, 
a  medical  department  is  to  be  opened  at 
Adams,  and  the  boys  will  receive  such  instruc- 
tion as  will  overcome  much  of  their  supersti- 
tious fear  of  disease.  lu  every  department 
there  is  opportunity  for  enlargement,  and  to  no 
more  worthy  object  can  assistance  be  rendered. 

The  theological  school  was  commenced  in 
1869  by  Rev.  Elijah  Robbins.  From  time  to 
time  men  have  gone  forth  to  be  missionaries  to 
their  own  people.  We  trust  many  more  will 
avail  themselves  of  the  faithful  teaching  and 
pre[)aration  for  service  which  is  given  them 
by  Rev.  Charles  Kilbon,  who  has  charge  of 
tliat  department. 

The  Inanda  Seminary  for  girls  is  not  only 
a  school,  but  a  home.     From  sixty  to  seventy 


Native  Education.  255 

bright  girls,  varying  in  age  from  twelve 
to  sixteen,  most  of  them  born  of  Christian 
parents,  are  here  taught  the  elements  of  a 
pfood  education.  The  success  of  the  school  is 
owing  in  a  great  measure  to  the  wise  judg- 
ment and  unwearied  efforts  of  Mrs.  Edwards, 
who  began  it  in  1869. 

The  course  of  study  pursued  embraces  bibli- 
cal history,  harmony  of  the  Gospels,  reading, 
translation  and  dictation  in  Zulu  and  English, 
writing,  arithmetic,  geography,  history,  physi- 
ology, and  English  composition.  Special  atten- 
tion is  paid  to  needlework  in  its  various 
branches,  as  well  as  domestic  employment  and 
gardening.  The  fee  for  board  and  tuition  is 
twenty -five  dollars  per  annum  for  each  pupil. 
So  anxious  are  girls  to  attend  this  school  that 
they  frequently  run  away  from  their  kraals,  pur- 
sued by  their  fathers  or  brothers,  whose  chief 
desire  is  to  secure  the  cattle  for  which  they  may 
be  sold  when  of  a  marriageable  age.  After  a 
palaver  of  half  an  hour  or  so,  if  they  find  the 
girl  is  determined  to  stop,  they  leave  her  and 
go  home.  The  girls  cultivate  twenty  acres  of 
land  and  endeavor  to  make  the  school  self-sup- 
porting. This  end  has  not  yet  been  wholly 
accomplished.  Friends  in  America  have  kindly 
assumed  the  responsibility  of  supporting  some 
whose  parents  are  too  poor,  or  unwilling  to 
furnish  the  means. 

The  girls  are  taught  singing  and  render  diffi- 
cult music  by  note  correctly  and  sweetly,  tak- 
ing the  soprano  and  alto  with  ease  in  anthems, 


256  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

duets,  etc.  Their  new  building,  Edwards  Hall, 
erected  by  gifts  from  mission  circles  in  this 
country,  amounting  to  'fr),000,  is  all  that  can 
be  desired  for  convenience  and  utility.  In 
describing  an  examination  at  Inanda,  a  few 
years  ago,  Mrs.  Tyler  wrote  :  — 

"  As  I  sat  on  the  platform  facing  forty  girls, 
two  at  each  desk,  I  wondered  what  would  be 
the  future  of  them  all,  and  I  am  thankful  that 
my  faith,  which  has  been  many  times  weakened 
by  disappointments,  did  not  fail  to  predict  a 
happy  life  for  them.  They  have  stepped  a 
long  way  out  of  heathenism,  and,  in  their  reci- 
tations and  conversation,  appear  to  me  to  know 
better  than  ever  what  the  '  Light '  means,  and 
what  an  infinite  blessing  has  come  to  them 
through  Christian  teaching.  It  is  a  great  gain 
to  secure  them  for  several  years,  so  that  their 
habits  may  become  fixed  and  their  minds  have 
elevating  influences  which  they  do  not  find  at 
their  homes.  I  counted  ten  whose  mothers  had 
lived  with  me  when  they  were  children." 

Umzumbe  Home  is  another  school  for  girls, 
but,  unlike  Inanda  Seminar}^  the  majority  of 
scholars  come  from  heathen  kraals,  without 
previous  preparation.  Of  the  Christian  in- 
fluence exerted  and  faithful  instruction  given, 
too  much  cannot  be  said.  Graduates  of  this 
school,  after  four  years'  study  (many  of  them 
having  become  Christians),  exert  a  most  salu- 
tary influence  in  their  heathen  homes.  The 
good  they  may  do  cannot  be  estimated.  The 
enlarged    accommodations    provide    for    sixty 


Native  Education.  257 

girls,  but  there  is  room  for  substantial  aid  in 
various  departments,  which  would  be  money 
well  invested.  The  course  of  study  pursued 
is  similar  to  that  of  Inanda,  out-of-door  employ- 
ment included. 

In  addition  to  those  already  referred  to,  and 
the  daily  schools  at  each  station,  there  are 
the  kraal  schools,  so  called  on  account  of 
their  being  within  the  native  villages,  and  at 
some  distance  from  the  mission  stations.  For- 
merly native  chiefs  refused  to  have  their 
children  educated.  A  change  has  come  over 
them.  They  now  say,  "  We  are  too  old  to  learn, 
but  our  children  are  not;  send  us  teachers." 
In  some  cases  they  are  willing  to  assist  in 
erecting  a  schoolhouse,  and  to  assume  the  re- 
sponsibility, in  part,  of  paying  the  teacher. 
An  instance  has  lately  occurred  of  a  chiefs 
making  a  law  that  all  the  children  of  his  tribe 
shall  be  taught,  the  fathers  to  be  fined  ten 
shillings  each  if  they  refuse  to  send  their  off- 
spring to  the  school,  and  a  child  one  shilling 
if  absent  purposely.  It  is  pleasant  to  see  a 
well-made  and  convenient  building  with  doors 
and  windows,  provided  with  benches,  slates, 
blackboards,  and  other  essentials,  by  the  side 
of  a  kraal  in  a  locality  far  away  from  any 
missionary.  The  children,  it  is  true,  learn 
under  difficulties.  Girls  whose  business  it  is 
to  take  care  of  babies  bring  them  in  leather 
sacks,  slung  on  their  shoulders.  Herd  boys 
drive  their  flocks  of  goats  and  cattle  to  a  hill 
opposite    the    school,    where    they   can    watch 


258  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

them  and  study  at  the  same  time.  The 
teachers  are  usually  graduates  of  the  semi- 
naries, some  of  whom  conduct  services  on  the 
Sabbath.  When  fairly  started  with  twenty- 
five  pupils,  a  little  aid  is  afforded  by  the  Natal 
government.  All  these  schools  are  under  the 
supervision  of  missionaries,  and  the  truth  made 
known  in  them  has  frequently  been  blessed  to 
the  conversion  of  souls. 

The  efforts  of  all  missionary  bodies  for  the 
education  of  the  Natal  Zulus  have  invariably 
met  with  sympathy  from  the  English  authori- 
ties. Officials  have  declared  that  mission  work 
in  isolated  parts  of  the  colony  has  helped  ma- 
terially in  the  government  of  the  natives.  Not 
only  in  many  instances  are  mission  reserves  laid 
out  of  the  native  locations,  each  one  including 
six  thousand  or  more  acres,  but  grants  from  an 
educational  fund  are  made  to  station  schools. 
Doubtless  one  reason  why  the  government  has 
indorsed  the  labors  of  missionaries  is  the  fact 
that  as  much  as  possible  they  have  abstained 
from  entering  the  arena  of  politics,  rigidly  ad- 
hering to  their  own  appropriate  work.  Mr. 
Robert  Plant,  inspector  of  native  education,  a 
man  eminently  adapted  for  his  post,  has  pro- 
posed to  the  Educational  Council  a  scheme 
which  seems  wise  and  feasible.  It  provides  for 
the  establishment  of  small  industrial  schools  in 
the  more  thickly  populated  parts  of  the  native 
locations,  each  to  supply  the  needs  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  children  with  one  European  and 
five  native  teachers.     The  expenditure  for  this 


Pupils  of  the  Inanda  Seminary. 


Native  Education.  259 


enterprise  he  estimates  at  <£ 8,000,  and  regular 
instruction  will  be  provided  for  six  thousand 
children. 

It  is  evident  that  European  merchants  in 
Natal  are  the  gainers  as  educational  and  Chris- 
tian work  progresses  among  the  natives.  Rev. 
James  Dalzell,  m.d.,  a  scholarl}^  and  able  Scotch 
missionary,  who  reported  at  a  late  missionary 
conference  that  he  had  seen,  in  two  years,  his 
native  adherents  multiplied  a  hundredfold,  com- 
puted that  while  a  native  kraal  required  only 
£2  worth  of  imported  goods,  each  mission  na- 
tive required  X20.  Reckoning  the  Zulu  church 
members  in  the  colony  at  four  thousand,  their 
commercial  requirements  aggregate  .£80,000  per 
annum.  So  much  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view 
are  the  Natal  colonists  indebted  to  Christian 
missions. 

The  publications  of  the  American  Mission  in 
the  Zulu  language,  from  the  beginning  to  the 
present  time,  are  :  the  Bible  entire,  dictionaries, 
grammars,  histories  (one  ecclesiastical),  hymn 
books,  arithmetics,  geographies,  primers,  cate- 
chisms, a  monthly  newspaper,  —  The  Morning 
Star,  —  and  a  variety  of  tracts.  Other  societies 
have  published  books  for  their  schools  and  sta- 
tions, but  none  to  such  an  extent  as  the  Amer- 
ican. The  Zulu  Bible,  printed  by  the  Amer- 
ican Bible  Society,  answers  not  only  for 
missionaries  of  the  American  Board  of  Com- 
missioners for  Foreign  Missions,  but  for  Nor- 
wegian, German,  and  Swedish  societies,  as  well 
as  the  London  Missionary  Society  among  the 
Matabele  Zulus. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

THE   MISSIONARY   OUTLOOK. 

IN  1885  was  celebrated  the  "  Jubilee,"  or 
semi-centennial  anniversary  of  the  Amer- 
ican Zulu  Mission.  With  one  exception,  the 
pioneers  had  gone  to  their  reward.  There 
were,  however,  some  veteran  laborers  to  mingle 
with  their  younger  brethren  in  the  festivities  of 
the  occasion.  Jubilee  Hall  was  then  opened 
by  the  governor  of  the  colony,  who,  together 
with  leading  colonists,  expressed  hearty  sym- 
pathy and  interest.  Rev.  William  Ireland  read 
a  history  of  the  mission's  five  decades,  show- 
ing a  steady  advance  from  the  beginning. 

Statistics  from  the  mission  at  the  close  of 
1889  show  that  there  were  sixteen  churches, 
with  a  membership  of  eleven  hundred  and 
fifty-five ;  under  Sabbath-school  instruction, 
fourteen  hundred  and  eighty;  missionaries, 
thirt3^-eight ;  native  helpers,  including  teachers 
and  preachers,  one  hundred  and  sixty -seven  ; 
money  contributed  for  church  work,  education, 
and  charitable  purposes,  during  the  year,  over 
one  tliousand  dollars. 

The  East  Central  African  Mission,  a  branch 
of  the  one  in  Natal,  was  commenced  by  Rev. 
W.  Wilcox  and  wife  in  1883.  Its  prospects 
for   a   time    were   very   encouraging.     Messrs. 

260 


The  Missionary  Outlook.  261 

Richards,  Ousley,  Bates,  and  their  wives  went 
to  that  field  ;  the  languages  were  mastered, 
parts  of  the  Bible  printed,  and  everything 
went  on  prosperously.  But  Mr.  Wilcox  left 
the  work  and  Messrs.  Richards  and  Bates,  on 
account  of  fever,  were  obliged  to  leave.  The 
latter  has  joined  the  Natal  Mission.  Mr.  Rich- 
ards came  to  the  United  States  and  retired 
from  the  service  of  the  Board.  Mr.  Ousley 
followed  him,  owing  to  serious  illness,  but  hopes 
to  return  shortly.  This  brother  was  a  slave, 
born  on  the  plantation  of  Mr.  Joseph  Davis, 
brother  of  Jefferson  Davis,  president  of  the 
Confederate  States.  He  was  freed  at  the 
time  the  slaves  were  emancipated  by  order  of 
President  Lincoln.  After  studying  at  Fisk 
University  and  Oberlin,  he  received  appoint- 
ment to  the  Eiist  Central  African  Mission, 
whither  he  went  with  his  wife,  who  is  also  a 
graduate  of  Fisk  University.  These  are  the 
first  colored  missionaries  sent  by  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  to 
Southern  Africa.  Mr.  Ousley  believes  that  the 
colored  men  from  our  southern  states  can 
endure  the  malarial  climate  of  Africa  better 
than  white  men.  Neither  he  nor  his  wife  has 
suffered  from  fever  as  much  in  Africa  as  they 
did  in  this  country.  Miss  Jones,  a  colored 
lady  who  went  out  to  assist  the  Ousleys,  does 
not  complain  of  the  climate.  If  it  is  true  that 
our  colored  brethren  and  sisters  can  labor  in 
those  malarial  districts  without  succumbing  as 
do  white  missionaries,  how  important  that  they 


262  Forty  Yearn  Amonr)  the  Zulus. 

be  sent  there  !     Few  more  inviting   fields   are 
to  be  found  in  the  Dark  Continent  than  this. 

The  force  in  the  field  at  the  present  writing 
is  represented  by  Rev.  John  B.  Bennet  and  wife 
and  Miss  Jones;  Rev.  Mr.  Bunker  and  wife  are, 
however,  designated  to  it,  and  sailed  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1890.  Rev.  Mr.  Wilcox  and  wife  also 
returned  in  the  same  month. 

In  the  foregoing  pages,  the  work  of  the 
American  Zulu  Mission  has  been  chiefly  con- 
sidered. Let  no  one  think  that  I  am  dis- 
posed to  underrate  the  labors  of  other  evangel- 
ical bodies.  Noble  men  and  women  of  various 
sections  of  the  Christian  Church  are  toiling 
faithfully  for  the  good  of  the  natives,  and,  so 
far  as  I  have  observed,  most  harmoniously. 
There  is  no  clashing  out  there.  If  there  is  any 
rivalry,  it  is  that  of  brave  soldiers,  ambitious 
to  advance  the  glory  of  their  heavenly  King. 
One  should  visit  a  foreign  mission  field  to  see 
illustrated  the  remark  Dr.  Livingstone  once 
made :  "  All  classes  of  Christians  find  that 
sectarian  rancor  soon  dies  out  when  they  are 
working  together  among  and  for  the  real 
heathen." 

The  Dutch  in  Natal  have  what  is  called  a 
Boer  Farm  Mission,  of  an  interesting  charac- 
ter. One  of  the  results  of  a  late  revival  of 
religion  among  the  farmers  was  an  earnest 
desire  to  Christianize  the  natives  living  on 
their  farms,  and  it  is  pleasant  to  behold  school- 
houses,  places  of  worship,  and  other  proofs  of 
evangelistic  enterprise  in  a  field  hitherto  neg- 
lected. 


The  Missionary  Outlook.  263 

English  Wesleyan  Methodists,  'and  Scotch 
Presbyterians  of  the  Free  Church,  confine 
their  labors  principally  to  Natal,  while  the 
Germans  (Berlin  and  Hanoverian),  Norwe- 
gians, Swedes,  and  missionaries  of  the  Church 
of  England  have  stations  in  Cape  Colony  and 
in  Zululand.  Since  the  latter  country  has 
come  under  British  jurisdiction,  happier  results 
from  missionary  efforts  may  be  expected  than 
while  it  was  under  the  reign  of  despotism. 

Until  quite  recently,  non-Protestant  societies 
have  not  made  any  strenuous  effort  to  convert 
the  Zulus.  There  is,  however,  now  in  the  field 
an  order  of  Benedictine  monks,  called  Trappists, 
who  are  manifesting  extraordinary  zeal.  Their 
chief  monastery,  Marianhill,  is  a  few  miles 
from  the  seaport.  The  abbot,  Francis  Pfaner, 
a  German,  who  superintends  the  establishment, 
is  a  gentleman  of  great  shrewdness  and  intelli- 
gence. When  I  visited  the  place  he  took  me 
about,  and  willingly  explained  his  plans  and 
methods  of  labor.  Evidently,  in  his  opinion, 
civilization  is  the  primary  step  to  be  taken 
in  elevating  the  heathen.  There  were  on  the 
ground  one  hundred  and  seventy  monks  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty  nuns ;  more  were  ex- 
pected. Three  hundred  native  boys  and  girls 
were  under  instruction,  chiefly  industrial. 
Twenty  thousand  acres  of  land  have  been 
purchased,  a  large  part  of  which  is  under 
cultivation.  All  the  workshops  were  full  of 
activity,  but  I  noticed  that  the  men  did  not 
utter  a  word.     Perpetual  silence,  it  appears,  is 


^64  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

imposed  on  all  monks  under  the  Benedictine 
rule.  To  an  Englishman  who  asked  the  abbot 
tlie  reason  for  this,  the  reply  was :  "  There  are 
reasons  spiritual  and  secuhir.  Silence  is  spirit- 
ually beneficial.  It  is  secularly  beneficial,  inas- 
much as  tlierc  is  no  quarreling  when  there  is  no 
talking,  and  there  is  much  more  work  done.*' 
Zulu  Luis,  however,  chatted  and  laughed  ad  libi- 
tum.   They  would  not  have  been  Zulus  otherwise. 

Various  industries  engage  the  Trappists, 
among  which  is  bee  culture.  Newspapers  in 
Polish,  German,  English,  and  Zulu  are  published 
at  the  monastery.  Pains  are  taken  to  extend 
their  influence  among  the  natives.  A  brass  band 
consisting  of  thirty  sandaled  monks  marches 
occasionally  through  the  streets  of  the  nearest 
town,  playing  as  they  go,  and  are  followed  by 
Zulus  clothed  in  dark  fustian  with  polished 
helmets  on  their  heads. 

To  what  this  extraordinary  Trappist  move- 
ment will  grow,  it  is  impossible  to  predict. 

I  trust  it  will  appear  from  what  has  been 
said  that  the  outlook,  so  far  at  least  as  the 
American  Zulu  Mission  is  concerned,  is  calcu- 
lated to  cheer,  rather  than  to  depress.  News 
from  the  field  clearly  indicates  an  advance 
all  along  the  line.  Societies  of  Christian 
Endeavor  are  springing  up ;  the  cause  of  tem- 
perance is  gaining  ground ;  schools  are  well 
attended;  Sabbath  audiences  are  growing 
larger;  "spirit  doctors"  are  losing  their  hold 
of  the  native  mind  ;  the  axe  of  the  gospel  is  laid 
at  the  root  of  polygamy  and  attendant  evils; 


^le  Missionary  Outlook.  265 

Christianity,  hand  in  hand  with  civilization,  is 
moving  on.  Is  the  time  far  distant  when  those 
qualities  of  valor,  obedience,  and  endurance 
which  the  Zulus  displayed  when  in  a  state  of 
barbarism  will  be  conspicuous  in  promoting 
the  Redeemer's  glory  ?  Has  not  God  in  his 
providence  sent  his  servants  to  Natal,  spared 
their  lives,  enabled  them  to  master  the  native 
language,  translate  the  Bible  and  other  books, 
and  put  in  operation  the  machinery  of  means, 
preparatory  to  carrying  the  blessings  of  Chris- 
tianity into  Africa's  dark  interior  ?  What  base 
of  operations  could  have  been  selected  more 
suitable  for  this  object?  What  strategic  point 
could  we  have  laid  hold  of  on  the  southeast- 
ern coast  better  than  this  ?  Recruits  from  our 
mission  schools  will  doubtless  go  as  mission- 
aries to  the  Matabele  and  other  Zulu-speaking 
tribes.  The  way  was  opened  last  year  when 
Umcitwa  and  Yona,  a  man  and  his  wife  from 
the  Umzumbe  station,  joined  the  mission  to  the 
Matabele  tribe.  On  their  journey,  Umcitwa 
took  a  severe  cold  which  resulted  in  his  death 
soon  after  reaching  his  destination.  Who  can 
tell,  however,  what  results  may  follow  his 
example  ? 

Though  I  have  spoken  hopefully  respecting 
the  Zulu  Mission  and  its  importance  with  ref- 
erence to  the  future  regeneration  of  Africa, 
I  am  compelled  to  add,  with  sorrow,  that  there 
are  influences  at  work  that  will  undo  much 
that  has  been  done,  and  hinder  progress,  unless 
God  in  his  mercy  interposes.     The  streams  of 


266  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 


intemperance  and  vice  flowing  into  Natal 
imperil  not  only  tlie  spiritual,  but  the  physi- 
cal existence  of  tlie  natives.  A  large  body  of 
Christ's  servants  are  needed  at  once  to  counter- 
act those  influences.  The  Zulus  are  in  a 
transition  state.  Much  will  be  lost  by  delay. 
Tlie  remark  lately  made  b}-  Mr.  Stanley  in 
reference  to  the  importance  of  reinforcing 
Christian  missions  in  Central,  will  apply  equally 
to  South,  Africa :  "  If  we  want  to  hold  our 
ground,  we  must  not  send  little  parties  of 
workers,  as  heretofore,  but  must  pour  in  men 
by  the  scores  and  even  by  the  fifties." 

Death  and  illness  have  sadly  depleted  the 
number  of  missionaries.  The  few  left  in  the 
field,  overburdened,  ask  with  a  pathos  that 
should  reach  the  hearts  of  God's  people  at 
home,  — 

"Do  they  come,  do  they  come? 

We  are  feeble  and  worn, 

And  we  are  passing  like  shadows  away. 

But  the  harvest  is  white.    Lo,  yonder  the  dawn  I 

For  laborers,  for  laborers,  we  pray  !  " 

To  those  who  may  inquire,  "  Are  the  results 
of  your  work  among  the  Zulus  commensurate 
with  the  toil  and  money  expended  ?  "  I  reply : 
If  judged  by  worldly  standards,  they  may  not 
appear  so;  but  truly  no  serious-minded  man 
will  gauge  them  by  figures  alone.  No  tabular 
view  can  adequately  represent  what  has  been 
done.  Of  this  we  are  sure :  it  is  God's  work, 
and  it  cannot  be  a  failure.  One  has  truthfully 
said :   "  God's  true  missionary  goes   where   He 


JosiAH,  Teacher  in  the  Boys'  High  School  at  Adams. 


TJie  Missionary  Outlook.  267 

sends  him,  and  he  succeeds,  though  all  he  may 
do  is  to  plow  up  the  hard  ground  and  gather 
out  the  stones  to  leave  a  fair  field  for  the  sower. 
And  in  God's  eyes  many  a  man  who,  by  the 
armful  or  wagonload,  brings  sheaves  to  the  gar- 
ner is  only  reaping  from  others'  sowing." 

If  we  could  point  to  a  single  Zulu  who  has 
been  savingly  converted,  that  alone  would 
prove  that  our  labors  have  not  been  in  vain. 
But,  thank  God!  we  can  adduce  instances  not  a 
few  of  self-denial,  humility,  holy  living,  resigna- 
tion to  the  divine  will,  heroic  faith,  and  joy  in 
the  near  prospect  of  death.  I  think  I  am  safe 
in  saying  that,  as  a  rule,  converted  Zulus  are 
quite  as  consistent  in  their  daily  life  as  average 
church  members  in  Christian  lands.  It  is  un- 
reasonable to  suppose  that,  with  the  few  advan- 
tages they  possess,  they  should  rise  speedily  to 
the  standard  of  intelligent  piety  attained  in 
more  highly  favored  countries. 

What  Rev.  John  McKenzie,  formerly  of  the 
London  Missionary  Society,  has  said  in  regard 
to  Bechuana  Christians  applies  to  Zulus :  "  It 
is  not  to  be  expected  that  a  loquacious, 
news-telling  people,  unaccustomed  to  solitude 
and  to  consecutive  thought  or  study,  should, 
on  their  conversion  to  Christianity,  become  at 
once  remarkable  for  their  elevated  spirituality 
and  for  delighting  in  protracted  seasons  of 
prayer,  meditation,  and  communion  with  God." 

Before  closing  this  chapter,  let  me  ask  my 
readers,  especially  those  who  are  young,  strong, 
and  qualified  to   engage  in   mission  work,  Do 


268  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

you  really  believe  that  the  gospel  is  the  grand 
instrument  devised  by  God  for  tlie  elevation  of 
the  degraded  ?  And  has  the  command,  "  Go, 
teach  all  nations,'*  lost  any  of  its  force  since  it 
was  given  by  the  Master  ?  Have  you  individu- 
ally and  seriously  inquired,  with  a  desire  to 
ascertain  God's  will,  "  Is  it  my  duty  to  carry 
the  gospel  to  the  heathen  ?  "  Should  you  do  so, 
would  the  cause  of  God  in  this  land  suffer  from 
your  absence  ?  On  the  other  hand,  would  not 
an  impetus  be  given  to  it,  thus  illustrating  that 
heavenly  law,  "  There  is  that  scattereth,  and 
yet  increaseth "  ?  Go  and  tell  the  benighted 
the  story  of  Jesus  and  his  love,  and  even  they 
will  exclaim  in  the  language  of  inspiration, 
"  How  beautiful  are  the  feet  of  them  that  .  .  . 
bring  glad  tidings  of  good  things !  "  Go,  and 
if  successful  in  your  work,  you  will  hear  from 
the  lips  of  converted  heathen  what  you  cannot 
hear  if  you  remain  in  your  native  land  :  "  For 
our  sakes  you  left  home  and  kindred.  You 
were  the  only  almoners  of  God's  bounty  to  us. 
You  found  us  naked ;  you  have  clothed  us. 
Ignorant,  you  have  taught  us.  We  delighted 
in  war ;  you  have  tauglit  us  the  principles  of 
peace.  We  were  in  the  depths  of  degradation ; 
you  have  raised  us  to  sit  together  in  heavenly 
places  in  Christ  Jesus.  We  will  never  cease  to 
thank  God  for  sending  you  to  tell  us  of  the 
great  salvation."  That  will  pay  for  all  youi" 
toil  and  sacrifices. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

FACTS   CONCERNING   NATAL. 

"VTATAL  lies  in  the  same  latitude  south  as 
-1-^  New  Orleans  north ;  is  eight  hundred 
miles  Irom  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and 
seventy-hve  hundred  miles  from  England. 
Mail  steamers  from  London  reach  it  in  about 
twenty-five  days,  stopping  at  the  Cape,  Port 
Elizabeth,  and  East  London.  It  has  an  area  of 
twenty-one  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  and  a  seaboard  of  one  hundred  and  eighty. 
Vasco  da  Gama,  a  Portuguese  navigator,  sight- 
ed it  on  Christmas  day,  five  years  after  Colum- 
bus discovered  America,  and  it  received  its  name, 
Terra  Natalis,  in  honor  of  that  day. 

The  first  attempt  to  colonize  it  was  made  in 
1823  by  a  party  of  Englishmen  with  Lieuten- 
ant Farwell  at  its  head.  Chaka,  the  Zulu  king 
at  that  time,  ceded  to  them  what  now  comprises 
the  colony.  Soon  after,  the  same  Zulu  potentate 
made  Captain  Allen  Gardiner,  an  Englishman, 
a  grant  of  the  same  territory,  evidently  not  re- 
garding the  previous  cession  as  bona  fide.  The 
country  was  once  thickly  populated,  but  that 
despot  so  devastated  it  by  his  armies  that  only 
here  and  there  could  be  found  a  few  stragglers, 
and  they  were  in  a  state  of  starvation. 

269 


270  Forty  Years  Amonr/  the  Znlus. 

The  first  Christian  missionaries  to  Natal 
were  tliose  of  the  American  Board,  who  landed 
in  1835.  Wars  between  the  natives  and  Dutch 
farmers,  immigrants  from  the  Cape  Colony,  and 
afterwards  between  the  Ejiglish  and  Dutch, 
kept  the  country  in  a  state  of  insecurity  till 
1843,  when  it  was  proclaimed  a  British  posses- 
sion. Soon  after,  a  governor  was  appointed, 
and  an  executive  council  established.  Quiet 
liaving  been  restored,  natives,  fleeing  from 
tyranny  and  witchcraft  in  Zululand,  entered 
in  large  numbers. 

The  first  object  saluting  the  newcomer  to 
Natal  is  the  lighthouse,  a  massive,  costly  struc- 
ture, situated  on  a  high  bluff,  visible  from  a 
long  distance.  The  coast,  lined  with  thick 
gnarled  bushes,  twenty  feet  or  more  in  height, 
interspersed  with  euphorbia,  Kaffir  boom,  and 
palm  trees,  presents  a  pretty  appearance.  The 
rivers  emptying  into  the  ocean  are  indicated 
by  the  surf  as  it  dashes  over  the  sandbanks  at 
their  mouths.  Of  these,  twenty- three  in  num- 
ber, only  one  is  navigable,  the  Umzimkulu, 
and  that  but  a  short  distance.  Until  latel3% 
entrance  to  the  Natal  harbor  has  been  choked 
by  sand,  and  this  lias  proved  a  serious  obsta- 
cle to  colonial  prosperity.  At  a  great  expense 
breakwaters  have  been  constructed,  so  that 
ships  drawing  sixteen  feet  of  water  can  now 
enter  with  safety.  Experts  in  engineering  pre- 
dict that  a  still  greater  depth  of  water  will  be 
secured.  The  harbor,  once  entered,  is  all  that 
can  be   desired  —  sheltered,  commodious,   and 


Facts  Concerning  Natal.  271 

sufficiently  deep.  The  customhouse  and  ware- 
houses along  the  docks,  where  ships  load  and 
unload,  remind  one  of  English  and  American 
ports.  The  contrast  between  1849  and  1891  is 
simply  marvelous. 

Telegraphic  communication  is  established, 
not  only  throughout  Natal,  but  with  the  Trans- 
vaal, Orange  Free  State,  and  various  ports  along 
the  eastern  coast.  A  submarine  cable  between 
Zanzibar  and  Aden  brings  the  colony  into  com- 
munication with  Great  Britain.  Mail  steam- 
ers run  constantly,  the  price  of  first-class  pas- 
sage being  not  far  from  two  hundred  dollars ; 
second-class,  one  hundred  and  fifty.  There  are 
lines  of  boats  carrying  cargo  and  a  limited 
number  of  passengers,  having  excellent  accom- 
modations, which  make  the  passage  in  a  longer 
time  and  at  reduced  rates. 

Natal  has  been  called  by  its  admirers  an 
"  Elysium  in  South  Africa  "  ;  and  not  without 
reason.  Probably  England  has  no  brighter 
gem  among  her  colonies.  For  beauty  of  scen- 
ery and  salubrity  of  climate  she  is  deservedly 
distinguished.  Perhaps  allowance  should  be 
made  for  the  writer,  who  for  twenty-three  years 
of  his  Natal  life  was  not  ill  a  single  week,  but 
it  is  doubtful  whether  on  the  globe  there  is  a 
spot  where  the  atmosphere  is  clearer  and  the 
sky  brighter  than  during  the  winter  months, 
from  May  to  October.  The  evenings  are  then 
generally  free  from  clouds,  and  the  stars  shine 
with  extraordinary  brilliancy.  In  1858  it  was 
reported  that  during  the  six  months  of  winter 


272  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

there  were  ninety-seven  starlit  evenings.  An 
Englisli  scientist  remarked :  "  The  stars  seem 
half  as  large  and  lialf  as  bright  again  as  they 
ever  do  in  England,  and  shine  with  a  steady 
effulgence."  In  regard  to  the  moon  he  added : 
"  In  the  latitudes  of  this  colony  the  moon 
occasionally  comes  within  four  times  its  own 
breadth  of  the  zenith  as  it  crosses  the  meridian. 
At  such  times  the  moonshine  is  often  of  such 
intense  brilliancy  that  strong  black  shadows 
are  cast  by  it,  and  the  smallest  objects  can  be 
distinctly  seen  by  its  aid." 

During  the  winter  there  is  very  little  rain ; 
sometimes  for  two  or  three  months  none  at  all. 
The  thermometer  ranges,  during  that  time, 
from  40°  to  60°.  Snow  falls  occasionally  in  the 
upper  districts,  but  never  on  the  coast,  and 
rarely  is  the  frost  severe  enough  within  fifteen 
miles  of  the  sea  to  injure  bananas  or  sweet 
potato  vines.  The  average  temperature  for  the 
three  hottest  and  three  coldest  months,  taken 
from  accurate  observation  is  as  follows :  — 

December,  January,  and  February.  Highest,  97° 
5';  mean,  72°  2';  lowest,  53°  3'. 

June,  July,  and  August.  Highest  83°  4';  mean, 
.')6°7';  lowest,  31°  9'. 

The  colony  rises  in  terraces  above  the  level 
of  the  Indian  Ocean  till  it  reaches  the  Drak- 
ensberg  or  "  Dragon's  Mountains,"  a  high  range 
which  has  sometimes  been  called  the  "  Appe- 
nines  of  South  Africa."  This  range  divides 
Natal  from  the  Transvaal  and  Orange  Free 
State.     Some   of    the   peaks   are   nearly   eight 


Facts  Concerning  Natal.  273 

thousand  feet  high,  and  during  the  winter 
months  are  frequently  capped  with  snow.  In 
summer  the  heat  is  as  intense  as  during  the 
dog  days  of  July  and  August  in  New  England, 
but  the  frequent  thunderstorms  are  invariably 
followed  by  cool  days  and  nights.  In  regard 
to  these  storms,  Dr.  Robert  Mann  observed: 
''  They  must  be  seen  before  a  notion  of  their 
character  can  be  realized.  Sometimes  the  end 
of  a  great  storm  cloud  looms  from  the  horizon 
with  a  splendid  glow  or  brush  of  light  bursting 
from  behind  it  at  each  discharge,  and  throwing 
the  black  masses  forward  in  strong  relief.  At 
other  times  the  foldings  of  the  troubled  and 
twisted  clouds  are  rendered  conspicuous  by 
colored  lines  and  sheets  of  fire,  which  exceed 
in  complication  and  variety  of  device  the  most 
ingenious  display  of  pyrotechny.  As  many  as 
fifty-six  distinct  lightning  flashes  in  every  min- 
ute may  sometimes  be  counted,  rising  in  this 
way  from  one  spot  of  the  horizon ;  and  the 
exhibition  may  be  seen  continuing  on  the  same 
scale  for  one  or  two  hours  at  a  time." 

Tornadoes  seldom  occur.  The  only  one  I 
remember  was  in  1850,  which  stripped  the 
native  huts  of  their  grass  covering  and  tore 
up  trees  by  the  roots,  but  soon  spent  itself 
without  causing  loss  of  life.  Natalians  have 
a  way  of  guarding  against  sunstroke  which 
Americans  might  imitate ;  they  wear  cork  hel- 
mets, well  ventilated  and  covered  with  white. 

The  vital  statistics  of  the  colony  show  a 
record  of  mortality  said  to  be  low,  compared 


274  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

with  other  countries.  Persons  troubled  with 
pulmonary  C()mi)laints  often  derive  substantial 
aid,  if  the}'  reach  South  Africa  before  the  dis- 
ease has  become  too  deeply  seated.  Those 
who  have  adopted  Natal  as  their  home  are  gen- 
erally contented  with  their  lot.  At  first  some 
of  them  had  to  "  rough  it,"  but  persistent 
industry  rewarded  many  with  the  luxuries  as 
well  as  the  comforts  of  life.  I  recall  what  was 
designated  as  the  "pumpkin  and  mealie  (corn) 
dispensation "  of  1850.  A  number  of  immi- 
grants, shipwrecked  as  they  were  crossing  the 
Natal  sandbar,  were  for  a  time  reduced  to 
straits,  obliged  to  subsist  on  Indian  corn  and 
pumpkins;  but  they  endured  their  trials  brave- 
ly and  cheerfully,  and  now,  being  well  off,  can 
remind  their  children,  when  they  are  disposed 
to  complain,  of  what  their  pai-ents  had  to  con- 
tend with  in  those  early  colonial  days.  One 
competent  to  speak  from  experience  has 
observed :  — 

"  Natal  is  not  a  country  in  which  to  realize 
a  fortune.  By  steady  work  a  man  beginning 
with  even  a  small  capital  may  rapidly  acquire 
a  competence  and  a  comfortable  home.  From 
a  social  point  of  view  Natal  is  altogether 
delightful.  A  man  who  does  not  crave  mil- 
lions, but  happiness,  may  assuredly  find  the 
latter." 

In  1889,  on  account  of  the  rapidly  develop- 
ing gold  fields  and  rush  to  South  Africa,  the 
demand  for  skilled  labor  was  great.  Artisans, 
masons,  carpenters,  miners  then  obtained  higli 


facts  Concerning  Natal.  275 

wages.  The  times  have  changed  somewhat, 
but  physicians,  printers,  lawyers,  clerks,  and 
bookkeepers  are  now  well  remunerated. 

The  cost  of  living,  though  greater  than  it 
was  formerly,  is  not  beyond  the  means  of  the 
majority.  Good  beef,  mutton,  and  bacon  can 
be  had  at  twelve  and  one-half  cents  per  pound. 
Fish,  at  the  seaport,  is  cheap  and  abundant. 
Fowls  are  twenty-five  cents  apiece.  Oysters 
can  be  had  by  knocking  them  off  the  rocks  at 
low  tide  ;  they  are  small,  but  of  good  flavor. 
Game  is  sometimes  obtainable  in  the  market, 
and  vegetables  of  various  kinds  are  abundant. 
Fruit  is  plentiful  and  cheap.  Bananas,  pine- 
apples, mangoes,  oranges,  mandarins,  limes, 
peaches,  lemons,  guavas,  pawpaws,  avocado 
pears,  custard-apples,  and  loquats  are  culti- 
vated with  great  success.  Tliere  are  native 
fruits  such  as  the  Cape  gooseberry,  granadilla 
(fruit  of  the  passion-vine),  and  itungula,  an 
acid  plum  which  is  much  used  for  preserves. 
Apples  and  quinces  thrive  on  higher  land, 
towards  the  north  of  the  colony.  The  staple 
production  is  Indian  corn,  of  which  two  crops 
can  be  raised  during  the  year  with  a  little 
painstaking.  This  is  the  principal  native  food. 
The  Zulus,  however,  raise  sweet  potatoes  and 
beans  to  a  large  extent.  Wheat  and  other  ce- 
reals do  better  inland,  but  not  so  well  as  in 
Australia;  hence  the  importation  of  flour  from 
that  country. 

Of  the  various  colonial  enterprises,  that  of 
sugar  culture  stands  at  the  head,  the   plauta- 


^16  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus, 

tions  extending  the  whole  length  of  the  coun- 
try. Mills  are  in  operation  and  sugar  of  the 
best  quality  is  manufactured.  The  Natal 
Central  Sugar  Company's  manufactory  at 
Mount  Edgecomb  is  the  largest,  having  one 
hundred  Indian  coolies  employed  at  the  mill, 
besides  nine  hundred  other  laborers,  natives 
and  coolies,  on  the  farm  connected  with  the 
establishment. 

Professor  Maury  predicted  that  Natal  would 
prove  a  good  locality  for  the  cultivation  of 
cotton,  but  his  prediction  has  not  been  realized. 
Every  attempt  to  raise  it  has  proved  a  failure. 
Coffee  for  a  time  seemed  to  succeed,  but  tea 
is  now  taking  its  place,  the  soil  in  many  local- 
ities being  especially  adapted  for  this  plant. 
The  largest  tea  estate  at  Kearsney  has  over  two 
hundred  acres  under  cultivation.  The  yield  in 
1887  was  not  far  from  eighty  thousand  pounds. 
A  competent  judge  sa}- s :  — 

"No  enterprise  promises  such  a  fair  return 
upon  capital  invested,  no  occupation  is  sur- 
rounded with  greater  attractions.  It  is  at  once 
cleanly  and  interesting,  and  offers  scope  to  the 
inventive  and  mechanical  energies  of  those 
engaged  therein." 

The  chief  industry  in  the  upland  districts  is 
that  of  cattle  and  sheep  farming.  On  the 
coast,  animals  are  severely  .  bitten  by  ticks 
wliich  come  from  the  grass.  The  tetse  fly  is 
not  found  in  Natal,  but  it  is  no  uncommon  thing 
to  see  a  cow  or  horse  covered  with  ticks,  which, 
when  filled  with  blood,  are  the  size  of  a  large 


Facts  Concerning  ITatal.  27? 

pea.  The  ears  of  the  poor  animals  are  much 
affected.  All  that  can  be  done  is  to  rub  on  tar 
and  grease  or  carbolic  acid  and  oil.  One  spe- 
cies of  tick  adheres  so  firmly  to  the  skin  that 
it  has  to  be  removed  by  the  application  of 
sharp  scissors.  There  is  a  smaller  kind  of  tick, 
not  larger  than  the  head  of  a  pin,  which  human 
beings  have  to  encounter.  It  burrows  in  the 
flesh,  producing  sensations  anything  but  agree- 
able. "  Natal  sores,"  which  require  ointments 
for  healing  and  sometimes  poultices,  are  the 
result  of  the  bite,  especially  with  persons  not 
acclimated.  When  these  little,  almost  invis- 
ible, insects  get  between  the  fingers,  but  partic- 
ularly the  toes,  the  irritation  for  a  time  is 
almost  unbearable.  Clergymen,  when  preach- 
ing, if  thus  disturbed,  are  sometimes  obliged  to 
curtail  their  sermons  ! 

Pleuro-pneumonia,  or  lung  sickness,  which 
has  swept  away  thousands,  yea,  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  cattle,  is  continually  breaking  out 
in  South  Africa,  inflicting  serious  loss  upon  the 
farmers.  As  there  are  few  fences,  it  is  next  to 
impossible  to  keep  diseased  cattle  in  quaran- 
tine as  in  this  country,  and  thus  "  stamp  out " 
the  disease.  The  method  adopted  to  save 
enough  oxen  for  necessary  work,  and  cows  for 
milk,  is  to  inoculate  them.  Some  resort  to 
drenching  the  healthy  cattle  ;  that  is,  pouring 
down  their  throats  two  or  three  quarts  of 
water  in  which  is  some  of  the  virus  of  a  dis- 
eased lung.  This  is  to  prevent  contagion. 
But  the  majority  of  farmers  prefer  to  make  an 


278  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

incision  in  the  lower  part  of  the  animal's  tail 
and  place  there  a  seton  witli  a  few  drops  of 
the  virus.  If  it  "  takes "  violently,  the  tail 
swells  and  becomes  a  mass  of  putrefaction,  and 
is  then  chopped  off,  and  if  it  rises  again  the 
process  is  repeated.  'J'he  unfortunate  brutes 
suffer  greatly  in  warm  weather  for  want  of 
something  with  which  to  brush  off  the  flies. 

Zulu  cows  are  not  noted  for  giving  milk. 
It  takes  as  many  as  six  of  the  average  kind  to 
give  as  much  as  one  good  American  cow.  And 
they  have  this  peculiarity,  that  they  will  not 
let  the  milker  have  any  until  the  calves  have 
first  been  fed.  The  milkman  has  to  dispute 
with  the  calf  as  to  who  shall  have  the  largest 
portion.  And  in  case  the  calf  dies,  its  mother 
refuses  to  give  down  her  milk  altogether.  We 
have  tried  to  teach  African  cows  better  man- 
ners, but  all  in  vain.  The  horns  of  both  oxen 
and  cows  are  large  and  wide-spreading,  very 
unlike  those  in  New  England. 

There  is  another  species  of  African  pest, 
which,  though  it  does  not,  like  the  tick,  attack 
persons  and  animals,  makes  raids  on  food,  cloth- 
ing, books,  and  furniture.  I  refer  to  the  ants. 
The  ant  kingdom  is  an  exceedingly  interesting 
one,  an  excellent  description  of  which  can  be 
found  in  Professor  Drummond's  Tropical 
Africa.  These  ants,  especially  annoying  to 
housewives,  are  of  a  brownish  color :  they 
build  their  nests  in  the  walls  or  under  floors, 
and  forage  in  every  direction,  making  the  pan- 
try  their   favorite    resort.     Black    ants    often 


Facts  Concerning  Natal.  279 

l)uild  their  nest  in  a  tree,  and  woe  be  to  the 
man  who  climbs  it !  Baldwin,  the  hunter,  tells 
us  of  his  ascending  a  tree  overhanging  a  river, 
in  order  to  shoot  a  sea  cow,  and  says :  "  But 
the  ants  fell  upon  me  so  vigorously  and  in 
such  countless  numbers,  biting  so  severely,  that 
flesh  and  blood  could  not  possibly  hold  out 
another  second,  and  I  was  forced  to  descend. 
An  old  sea  cow  is  indebted  to  the  black  ants 
for  her  life." 

The  termites  or  white  ants  are  the  most 
destructive,  though,  properly  speaking,  they 
are  not  ants  at  all  — "  holding  an  intermediate 
position  between  the  orthopterous  and  hyme- 
nopterous  families."  They  work  out  of  sight, 
incessantly  and  indefatigably,  forming  galleries 
of  hardened  clay  which  ramify  in  various 
directions  from  the  cell  or  nest  of  their  king 
and  queen.  They  have  a  partiality  for  the 
floors  of  dwelling  houses,  coming  up  through 
them  into  boxes  or  trunks,  not  lined  with  tin, 
converting  their  contents,  however  valuable, 
into  a  state  of  pulp.  They  often  give  human 
beings  an  unwelcome  invitation  to  descend  to 
a  level  with  themselves.  Walking  one  day  in 
the  parlor  of  a  brother  missionary,  the  floor 
suddenly  gave  way,  and  I  sank  three  or  four 
feet.  On  examination,  I  found  that  the  ants 
had  consumed,  not  only  the  sleepers,  but  the 
boards,  rendering  them  too  thin  to  support  my 
weight.  They  often  attack  books,  eating  the 
margin  as  far  as  the  print,  at  which  they  stop. 
"  In  many  parts  of  Africa,"  Professor   Drum- 


280  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 


mond  remarks,  "  I  believe  if  a  man  lay  down 
to  sleep  with  wooden  leg,  it  would  be  a  heap  of 
sawdust  in  the  morning."  Dr.  Livingstone 
wrote  of  them:  "At  some  of  their  operations 
they  beat  time  in  a  curious  manner.  Hundreds 
of  them  are  engaged  in  building  a  large  tube, 
and  they  wish  to  beat  it  smooth.  At  a  signal, 
they  all  give  three  or  four  energetic  beats  on 
the  plaster  in  unison.  It  produces  a  sound 
like  the  dropping  of  rain  off  a  bush  when 
touched."  The  doctor  regarded  them  as  a 
blessing  to  South  Africa,  as  agents  employed 
in  forming  a  fertile  soil.^ 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  the  swarming  pro- 
cess ;  so  thick  are  they,  and  so  white  their 
wings,  they  have  not  inaptly  been  compared  to 
"  snowflakes  floating  about  in  the  air."  Cats, 
dogs,  and  fowls  devour  them  eagerly.  The 
natives  also  gather  and  roast  them  for  eating, 
regarding  them  as  a  luxury.  Dr.  Livingstone 
once  gave  a  chief  a  bottle  of  preserved  apricots, 
and  asked  if  he  had  ever  tasted  anything  nicer  ; 
his  reply  was  :  "  Yes :   white  ants  !  " 

In  some  localities  ant  heaps  rise  to  the  height 
of  seven  or  eight  feet.  Traveling  one  winter 
in  the  Orange  Free  State,  where  there  was  no 
firewood,  I  was  in  a  quandary  as  to  how  I  should 
get  the  wherewithal  to  boil  my  kettle.  It  oc- 
curred to  me  that  I  might  utilize  an  ant  heap 
near  my  wagon.  Taking  a  spade,  I  cut  off  the 
apex  of  the  conical  mound,  made  a  fireplace  at 
the  base,  punched  a  hole  from  top  to  bottom  for 

'  Livingstone's  Researches  iu  South  Africa. 


Facts  Concerning  Natal.  281 

a  flue,  kindled  a  fire  with  some  newspapers,  and 
soon  had  a  fine  stove  though  of  a  novel  charac- 
ter. On  the  top  I  placed  the  kettle,  which  soon 
boiled,  after  which  the  natives  who  accompa- 
nied me  cooked  their  food. 

The  termites,  not  fancying  the  heat,  ran  in 
every  direction.  When  bedtime  came,  all  the 
natives  had  to  do  was  to  spread  their  mats  on 
the  ground  by  the  side  of  a  beautiful  fire,  which 
lasted  till  morning,  thus  sleeping  with  unusual 
comfort.  As  is  their  custom  when  any  ingen- 
ious device  is  resorted  to  by  white  people, 
bafSing  their  own  skill,  they  broke  out  next 
morning  with  the  expression :  "  Yek'  abelungu^ 
ha  hlulwa  'kufa  kodtva  (O  white  men,  nothing 
conquers  you  but  death)  !  " 

I  am  not  aware  that  any  contrivance  for  the 
extermination  or  extinction  of  the  white  ants 
has  proved  successful.  Tar,  arsenic,  strych- 
nine, corrosive  sublimate,  and  kerosene  have 
been  tried,  but  in  vain.  The  best  remedy  for  the 
time  being  I  found  was  hot  ashes.  Taking  up 
the  planks  of  a  floor  which  the  ants  had  begun 
to  devour,  and  removing  their  champings,  I 
sprinkled  ashes  freely  about,  which,  clogging 
their  mandibles,  caused  them  to  leave  in  dis- 
gust ;  but  only  to  renew  operations  in  another 
place. 

The  greatest  curiosity  connected  with  the 
termites  is  the  queen,  which  attains  the  size 
and  length  of  a  man's  finger,  and  resembles  a 
mass  of  white  jelly.  Professor  Drummond  says : 
"  She  is  two  or  tlu-ee  inches  in  length ;  in  shape 


282  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

like  a  sausage,  and  white  like  a  bolster."  Her 
palace,  or  nest,  is  near  the  center  of  the  heap, 
varying  in  size,  but  ordinarily  just  large  enough 
to  accommodate  her  majesty  and  the  king,  who 
is  the  size  of  an  ordinary  ant.  No  mason's 
trowel  could  make  the  sides  of  her  abode 
smoother  or  neater  than  is  done  by  the  workers 
in  the  ant  colony.  In  her  cell  she  must  remain, 
for  the  place  of  egress  and  ingress  is  only  large 
enough  to  accommodate  the  common  ant,  and 
when  she  has  laid  a  countless  number  of  eggs 
she  must  die.  It  has  been  said  that  when  she 
dies,  or  is  removed,  —  like  bees  when  their  queen 
is  destroyed,  —  the  ants  remove  to  another 
place ;  but  I  have  been  unable  to  verify  this. 

The  great  enemy  of  the  termites  is  the  ant- 
bear,  an  animal  as  large  as  a  good-sized  wolf, 
with  a  long  nose,  but  a  much  longer  tongue. 
It  burrows  into  an  ant  heap,  and  puts  out  its 
tongue,  upon  which  the  insects  creep  uncon- 
scious of  danger.  When  Avell  covered,  the 
tongue  is  drawn  in,  and  the  process  is  repeated 
until  the  hunger  of  the  animal  is  appeased. 
Ant-bear  holes  are  so  common  in  South  Africa 
tliat  horseback  riders  have  to  use  great  caution 
lest  they  fall  into  them. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

PHYSICAL  FEATURES  AND    POLITICAL  AFFAIRS. 

DURBAN  is  the  seaport  town  of  Natal, 
and  has  a  population,  including  natives 
and  Asiatics,  of  nearly  30,000.  Its  large  and 
substantial  buildings,  especially  the  town  hall, 
which  cost  about  £50,000,  would  be  an  ornament 
to  any  English  or  American  city.  Its  surround- 
ings are  exceedingly  picturesque.  On  the 
"  Berea,"  an  elevation  in  the  suburbs,  reached 
by  tram  cars,  are  numerous  and  tasteful  cot- 
tages which  command  a  fine  view  of  the  light- 
house and  outer  anchorage.  Its  botanical 
garden,  well  stocked  with  flowers,  plants,  and 
trees,  exotic  and  indigenous,  and  under  the 
supervision  of  a  scientific  curator,  is  a  favorite 
place  of  resort.  The  streets  are  wide,  hard, 
and  kept  scrupulously  clean.  Water  is  at  pres- 
ent brought  from  a  small  stream  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  town,  but  a  scheme  is  projected 
for  conveying  a  larger  supply  from  a  river  ten 
miles  away  at  an  expense  of  £30,000.  The 
matter  of  defense  is  not  overlooked.  A  bat- 
tery, to  be  furnished  with  guns  of  the  latest 
model,  commanding  the  entrance  to  the  bay, 
is  in  process  of  construction. 

As  Durban  is  one  of  the  principal  gateways 
to  the  Transvaal,  the  El  Dorado  in  South  Africa, 

363 


284  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

it  has  before  it  the  brightest  prospects,  and  bids 
fair  to  become  a  second  Melbourne  or  San  Fran- 
cisco. There  seems  no  reason  why  it  should 
not  be  a  coaling  station  for  steamers  from  Amer- 
ica to  China  by  way  of  tlie  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
as  well  as  from  England  to  Australia. 

In  point  of  religious  and  literary  privileges 
the  town  is  higlily  favored,  having  large  and 
commodious  churches,  able  ministers,  a  public 
library,  reading  room,  and  two  daily  news- 
papers. The  Natal  Mercury,  an  old  and 
popular  paper,  has  for  its  chief  editor  a 
gentleman  of  great  ability.  Sir  John  Robinson, 
who  has  lately  received  the  honor  of  knight- 
hood. His  love  and  labors  for  the  good  of  his 
adopted  country  prove  him  to  be  a  Natalian  of 
the  right  stamp.  With  untiring  patience  he 
has  "  dinned  into  the  colonial  ears  for  the  last 
quarter  of  a  century  "  their  need  of  responsible 
government.  May  he  live  to  see  this  boon 
secured!  A  keen  observer  has  justly  re- 
marked, "The  three-cornered  South  African 
problem  is  no  longer  Blacks,  Boers,  and  Brit- 
ish, but  Republicanism,  Responsible  Colonial- 
ism, and  Crown  Colonialism.  Until  Natal 
strikes  for  freedom  and  gains  a  voice  in  the 
direction  of  its  own  affairs,  it  will  bo  behind 
in  the  great  northern  race." 

The  Natalians  have  voted,  with  a  small 
majority  however,  to  ask  the  home  government 
for  the  privilege  of  ruling  themselves.  But 
the  question  has  not  yet  been  decided.  Evi- 
dently expecting  it,  the  progressive  party,  with 


Physical  Features.  285 

Sir  John  Robinson  at  their  head,  have  drafted 
a  new  responsible  constitution  for  the  colony 
and  presented  it  to  the  Legislative  Council. 
Among  the  things  recommended,  I  am  glad  to 
see  that  an  annual  grant  of  £20,000  has  been 
devoted  to  "raise  the  natives  in  the  scale  of 
civilization." 

Maritzburg,  the  colonial  capital,  fifty  miles 
from  Durban,  with  which  it  is  connected  by 
rail,  has  been  called  the  loveliest  of  South 
African  towns.  I  think  it  deserves  that  appel- 
lation. Its  streets  are  lined  with  tall  Austra- 
lian gums,  which  answer  the  twofold  purpose 
of  shade  and  lightning  conductors.  Good 
drinking  water  is  brought  in  aqueducts  from 
a  fountain  in  the  suburbs.  Fort  Napier,  on 
an  elevation  just  outside,  commands  the  city 
and  surroundings.  Prominent  among  build- 
ings are  the  legislative  hall,  hospital,  and  the 
residence  of  the  governor.  In  the  center  is 
an  immense  square  for  market  purposes,  at 
the  end  of  which  is  a  neat  granite  monu- 
ment commemorative  of  colonists  who  fell  in 
the  Zulu  war.  Opposite  the  legislative  hall 
stands  a  fine  statue  of  Queen  Victoria,  also 
a  bust  of  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  a  statesman  whose 
memory  is  cherished  with  profound  respect  by 
all  Natalians.  The  scenery  about  the  capital 
is  exceedingly  beautiful,  and  on  the  road  lead- 
ing to  the  coast  the  traveler,  if  he  has  been 
in  Switzerland,  is  often  reminded  of  that  coun- 
try. Lofty  cliffs  and  huge  rocks  give  variety 
to  the  view.     In  some  parts  of  the  colony  are 


28G  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

seen  immense  slabs  of  granite  on  hillsides, 
apparently  just  ready  to  launch  into  deep 
ravines  below,  the  earth  having  been  washed 
away  from  underneath.  One,  near  Esidumbini, 
measures  one  hundred  feet  in  length,  ninety 
in  width,  and  thirty  in  thickness.  A  cave 
underneath  served  as  a  hiding  place  for  Zulus 
in  the  time  of  Chaka. 

No  thorough  geological  survey  of  Natal  has 
been  made  as  yet.  A  few  years  ago,  there 
appeared  in  The  Natal  Journal  tlic  following 
brief,  but  good,  description  :  — 

"  The  country  is  composed  of  granite,  gneiss, 
trap,  sandstone,  and  shale.  Of  sandstone  there 
are  two  kinds,  the  old  coarse  species,  whicli 
forms  the  summits  of  the  Table  Mountains,  and 
a  much  finer  grained  sort  which  is  associated 
with  carboniferous  strata  containing  impressions 
of  vegetable  remains  imbedded  in  the  layers. 
The  trap  is  of  different  ages.  The  shale  is 
sometimes  gray  and  sometimes  red,  and  is  fis- 
sured and  laminated.  Enormous  masses  of  trap 
rock  are  scattered  over  the  face  of  the  country. 
The  bed  of  every  water  course  is  encumbered 
with  them.  The  granite  hills  inland  are  gener- 
ally broad,  low,  and  smoothly  rounded  protru- 
sions. These  are  square,  tabular  elevations, 
molded  entirely  of  trap,  and  may  be  at  once 
distinguished  by  the  eye  from  the  true  sand- 
stone-slabbed Table  Mountains,  notwitlistanding 
their  o-eneral  resemblance.  There  is  abundant 
evidence  that  during  past  centuries  volcani;; 
eruptions  have  had  much  to  do  in  mingling  to- 


Physical  Featured.  287 

gether  in  a  most  confused  manner  various  kinds 
of  rocks  in  every  part  of  the  colony." 

A  few  gold  mines  are  worked  both  in  Natal 
and  Zululand,  but  none  have  as  yet  proved  as 
rich  as  those  in  the  Transvaal.  But  beds  of 
good  coal  are  extensive  in  the  upper  districts, 
and  are  destined  greatly  to  enrich  the  colony. 
Steamers  plying  between  Durban  and  London 
are  using  it  instead  of  English  coal,  and  South 
America  is  applying  to  the  colonial  government 
for  a  monthly  supply. 

The  flora  of  Natal  presents  much  that  is 
attractive  and  beautiful  and  well  worth  atten- 
tion. During  the  rainy  season  the  country  is 
brilliant  with  flowers,  and  even  when  the  rains 
have  ceased  many  more  quiet  but  interesting 
plants  may  be  found.  Perhaps  no  orders  are 
more  fully  represented  than  the  Legnminosce 
and  Compositce.  Examples  of  the  former  are 
the  Kaffir  boom,  with  its  showy  scarlet  blos- 
soms and  bright  red  seeds  with  the  black  spot 
around  the  hilum,  used  by  natives  and  white 
children  alike  for  necklaces.  Throughout  the 
colony  can  be  found  the  acacias.  An  Austra- 
lian species  has  been  introduced  and  is  exten- 
sively cultivated  for  the  bark,  which  is  sent  to 
England  for  tanning  purposes. 

Among  the  Compositce^  those  which  are  bet- 
ter known  than  the  others  are  the  everlastings 
or  immortelles,  the  pink  and  yellow  being  very 
common,  while  the  silvery-white  variety,  with 
the  delicate  pink  tinge  around  the  disk,  is  found 
in  the  upper  districts.     One  species   of  nym^ 


288  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

phcea,  the  blue  water  lily,  is  quite  numerous. 
The  arum,  erroneously  called  calla  in  America, 
is  found  in  almost  every  marshy  place. 

The  beautiful  blue  and  white  agapanthus, 
the  graceful  littouia,  and  sandcrsonia,  and 
the  aloes  are  among  the  members  of  the  lily 
family.  Many  of  the  so-called  lilies  in  Natal 
l)elong  to  the  order  amarj/llidacea; ;  as,  for 
example,  the  "Natal  lily,''  with  its  pink- 
veined  perianth,  and  the  "fire  lil3%"  whose 
showy  scarlet  bells  contrast  vividly  with  the 
blackness  of  the  hills  after  the  annual  l)urning 
of  the  grass. 

A  few  epiphytic,  and  numerous  terrestrial, 
orchids  are  found  in  Natal.  Some  are  showy 
and  conspicuous,  while  others  are  dull  and 
hardly  distinguishable  from  the  grass.  Among 
the  cycads,  the  stangeria  is  a  beautiful  form, 
with  its  long,  frond-like  leaves  and  centjal  cone. 
Grasses  and  sedges  abound,  and  the  lover  of 
ferns  would  have  no  lack  of  material  for  inves- 
tigation. 

Palms  and  wild  bananas  and  the  ungainly 
euphorbias  are  conspicuous  among  the  larger 
plants. 

The  trees  used  for  cabinetwork  are  yellow- 
wood  Qjodocarpus') ;  sneezewood  (^pteroxylon 
utile}  ;  stinkwood  (^oreodaphne  hullata)^  so  called 
for  its  odor,  which,  however,  is  useful,  in  that 
worms  do  not  attack  it ;  black  ironwood  (olea 
Imirifolia),  a  hard,  solid  wood  which  takes  a 
fine  polish ;  and  many  others  of  which  more 
use  could  be  made  than  has  been  yet  attempted. 


Physical  Features.  289 

Waterfalls  in  Natal  are  common  and  beauti- 
ful. From  numerous  fountains  in  the  hillsides 
there  issue  streams  which  roll  down  till  they 
unite  with  rivers  winding  their  way  to  the 
Indian  Ocean.  A  perpendicular  fall  of  three 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  on  the  Umgeni  River  is 
one  of  surpassing  beauty.  A  Dutch  farmer,  in 
attempting  to  cross  the  ford  about  a  hundred 
yards  above,  in  an  ox-wagon,  bad  a  most  nar- 
row escape.  His  "  forelooper  "  (ox  leader),  a 
Zulu  lad  of  sixteen  years,  could  not  swim,  and 
was  told  by  his  master  to  get  into  the  wagon. 
The  Dutchman  knew  his  oxen  well  —  had  often 
seen  them  swim  through  swollen  streams,  and 
believed  he  could  trust  them  in  this  instance. 
Alas !  he  had  not  calculated  on  the  rapidity  of 
the  current.  The  oxen  could  not  reach  the 
opposite  landing,  and  to  his  horror  he  found 
that  bullocks,  wagon,  and  all  were  approaching 
the  rapids.  The  native,  losing  his  presence  of 
mind,  plunged  into  the  river  and  was  soon  taken 
over  the  fall.  The  Dutchman,  made  of  different 
stuff,  concluded  that  so  long  as  there  was  life 
there  was  hope,  and  made  a  desperate  attempt 
to  save  himself.  He  cracked  his  long  whip 
most  energetically,  calling  on  each  ox  by  name 
to  do  his  best.  The  brave  fellows,  inspired 
doubtless  by  the  frantic  cries  of  their  driver, 
swam  for  dear  life.  The  two  leaders  got  a  foot- 
hold on  the  bank,  and  just  as  the  wagon  swung 
about,  within  a  few  feet  of  the  abyss,  the  faithful 
beasts  drew  it  out  and  up  to  a  place  of  safety. 

The  political  affairs  of  Natal  are  administered 


290  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 

by  a  governor,  appointed  by  the  crown,  aided 
by  an  executive  and  legislative  council,  com- 
posed of  thirty  members,  who  retain  their  seat 
for  four  years.  The  administration  of  justice  is 
conducted  by  a  supreme  court,  by  courts  of 
magistrates  in  various  counties,  also  by  circuit 
courts  held  when  required.  A  special  judge  is 
appointed  for  cases  among  the  natives,  who  are 
allowed  the  privilege  of  appeal  to  a  higher 
court.  Should  the  matter  in  dispute  be  of  the 
value  of  five  hundred  pounds,  an  appeal  can  be 
made  to  the  privy  council  in  England. 

Natives,  on  certain  conditions,  may  come  out 
from  under  native  law  and  be  governed  precisely 
as  white  men.  Few,  however,  seem  disposed  to 
avail  themselves  of  this  privilege.  Doubtless 
the  reason  is  that  under  purely  English  law  they 
would  not  be  allowed  to  exchange  cattle  for 
women  and  practice  polygamy.  Those  who  con- 
form to  English  customs  and  dwell  in  furnished 
houses  of  European  construction  are  exempt 
from  the  annual  hut  tax.  The  great  mass  pre- 
fer to  live,  as  did  their  fathers,  in  Zulu  style. 

As  respects  ecclesiastical  affairs  in  Natal, 
the  largest  denomination  is  that  of  Wesleyan 
Methodists,  but  Presbyterians,  Congregation- 
alists.  Episcopalians  (Church  of  England),  and 
Roman  Catholics  are  well  represented.  There 
are  two  Baptist  churches  and  one  Jewish  syn- 
agogue. 

Colonial  education  is  under  the  direction  of 
a  council,  composed  of  ten  members,  with  two 
superintendents,   one    for    the    European,   the 


Umzinyati  Waterfall,  Inanda,  Xatal. 


Physical  Features.  291 

other  for  the  native,  schools.  There  are  several 
collegiate  institutions  which  compare  favorably 
with  those  in  other  countries. 

Natal's  exports  are  sugar,  wool,  hides,  horns, 
tallow,  arrowroot,  ginger,  cayenne  pepper,  tea, 
ivory  (from  the  interior),  and  the  bark  of  an 
acacia  tree,  useful  for  tanning  purposes. 

Imports  are  chieflj'^  timber,  furniture,  agri- 
cultural implements,  leather  manufactures,  car- 
riages of  various  descriptions,  clothing,  grocer- 
ies, ironmongery,  machinery,  ardent  spirits,  etc. 

The  revenue  is  derived  principally  from  the 
customs  charges,  auction  dues,  duty  on  firearms, 
sale  of  stamps,  gunpowder,  crown  lands,  tax- 
ation of  Europeans  and  natives,  transfer  dues, 
excise,  post  offices,  licenses,  etc. 

The  native  hut  tax  amounts  in  the  aggre- 
gate to  .£75,000  per  annum,  and  the  custom 
dues  on  blankets  and  beads,  purchased  to  a 
large  extent  by  natives,  reach  the  sum  of  <£15,- 
000.  The  following  comparative  statement  of 
the  value  of  imports  and  exports  and  customs 
receipts  for  the  years  1888  and  1889  shows 
the  rate  of  progress :  — 

IMPORTS.  1889.  1888. 

Value  of  imports  .  .  .  £4,527,015  0  0  £2,890,468  0  0 
Customs  revenue     .     .     .        369,689  3  1  290,084  8  1 

EXPORTS. 

Colonial £957,132  0  0        £941,562  0  0 

Non-Colonial '  699,186  0  0         '  476,309  0  0 

Total  exports  •  .     .     .  £1,650,318  0  0     £1,417,871  0  0 

>  These  figures  include  rough 

gold  to  the  value  of £584,933  0  0  £391,643  0  0 


292  Forty  Tears  Among  the  Zulus. 

According  to  a  late  estimate,  the  combined 
trade  of  tlie  colony  for  1889  was  not  far  short 
of  six  millions  sterling. 

Railways  are  being  pushed  with  rapidity 
both  to  the  Transvaal  and  Orange  Free  State. 
The  Grand  Trunk  Line  has  reached  Charles- 
ton, on  the  border  of  the  Transvaal,  only  one 
hundred  and  thirty  miles  from  Johannesburg, 
the  greatest  "mushroom  city"  in  Africa.  This 
railway  is  said  to  be  "  unequaled  in  English 
colonies  for  profit."  It  increased  the  past  year 
to  such  an  extent  that,  according  to  a  pub- 
lished estimate,  after  paying  all  expenses,  a 
sum  of  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  would 
accrue  to  the  general  revenue    of  the    colony. 

Various  industries  now  occupy  the  attention 
of  Natalians,  besides  the  cultivation  of  tea  and 
sugar  cane.  Some  are  engaged  in  ostrich 
farming,  a  few  in  raising  ground  nuts  (pea- 
nuts) for  the  oil.  One  farmer  obtained  three 
hundred  bushels  from  a  single  acre. 

Sericulture  is  attracting  attention,  the  govern- 
ment affording  a  little  aid.  Queens  and  eggs 
are  imported  from  Italy.  The  mulberry  grows 
finely,  and  there  appears  no  reason  why  this 
industry  should  not  prove  a  success.  The  most 
lucrative  business  in  the  upper  districts  is  sheep 
farming.  It  is  said  that  a  man  with  a  mod- 
erate capital  invested  in  land  and  sheep  is 
pretty  sure  to  obtain  a  good  return. 

With  the  influx  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race 
into  South  Africa,  the  native  question  is  one  of 
deep  interest.     Zulus  in  the  service  of  Euro- 


Physical  Features.  293 

peans  are  generally  obedient  and  peaceful,  but 
the  influence  of  their  hereditary  chiefs  is  great. 
Should  any  real  or  supposed  wrong  lead  those 
chiefs  to  combine  against  the  whites,  the  result 
would  be  war  and  bloodshed.  Let  us  hope  and 
pray  for  better  things.  Instead  of  believing 
that  they  are  "doomed  like  the  redskins  to 
fade  away  before  the  fiercer  energy  and  tougher 
fiber  and  the  higher  mental  power  of  their  pale 
brethren,"  as  Hepworth  Dixon  predicted  would 
be  the  case  with  the  blacks  in  our  southern 
states,  we  cherish  the  belief  that  they  will  im- 
prove under  the  just  and  benign  authority  of 
England,  and,  living  peacefully  alongside  of 
the  superior  race,  will  rise  gradually  but  surely 
to  a  high  standard  of  Christianity  and  civiliza- 
tion. If  in  the  course  of  divine  providence 
this  occurs,  it  will  be,  as  Froude  the  historian 
observed,  the  "solution  of  a  problem  worth 
more  than  all  the  diamonds  of  Kimberly." 


APPENDIX. 


LATER  JVnSSIONS. 

From  latest  statistics,  the  Gordon  Memorial  Mission 
in  Natal  (Scotch),  in  charge  of  Rev,  James  Dalzell, 
M.D.,  and  his  wife,  is  in  a  prosperous  condition. 
This  mission  was  founded  in  1868  by  the  Countess 
of  Aberdeen,  to  commemorate  the  purpose  of  her 
son,  the  late  Honorable  James  H.  H.  Gordon,  to  devote 
his  life  to  mission  work  in  South  Africa,  a  purpose 
not  executed  owing  to  his  early  death.  A  farm  was 
purchased  in  the  upper  part  of  Natal,  which  is 
thickly  populated  by  natives,  and  Dr.  Dalzell,  with 
his  zealous  wife,  is  here  laboring  most  successfully. 
Church  members  in  full  standing,  April,  1890,  were 
113.  Number  of  pupils  in  the  schools  connected  with 
the  station,  322. 

Two  sisters  of  Mrs.  Dalzell,  the  Misses  Lorimer, 
have  a  Zulu  Girls'  Home,  to  which  their  services  are 
given  gratuitously.  The  late  Dr.  Somerville,  "  the 
world's  evangelist,"  in  his  visit  to  South  Africa 
visited  this  station  and  spoke  of  it  in  the  highest 
terms. 

At  Impolweni  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland  has  an 
interesting  mission  in  charge  of  Rev.  James  Scott, 
with  a  church  membership  of  163,  and  two  schools, 
with  122  pupils.  There  are  live  branch  stations  con- 
nected with  Impolweni.  Also  at  Maritzburg  there  is 
a  flourishing  native  church  under  the  superintendence 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Bruce. 

The  Hanoverian  (German)  Society  has,  according 
to  latest  reports,  in  Natal  and  Zululand :  — 

Missionaries,  white,  25 

Native  helpers,  50 

Stations,  22 

Church  members,  1,782 

296 


296  Forty  Years  Amom/  the  Zulus. 

Church  of  the  Province  of  South  Africa  (English 
Episcopal) :  — 

OrdaiiHul  laborers,  wiiite,  6 

Ordained  laborers,  native,  3 

Lay  laborers,  white,  4 

Lay  laborers,  native,  18 

Lady  assistants,  white,  3 

Stations,  VI 

Baptized  Zulus,  1,(>44 

Its  chief  centers  of  labor  are  Durban  and  Mar- 
it  zburg. 

The  superintendent  of  native  missions  in  Natal, 

Rev.  A.  Ikin,  d.d.  (Church  of  England),  reports:  — 

Native  converts,  475 

Stations  for  Sunday  services,  16 

Ni-iht  schools,  8 

Day  schools,  6 

White  evangelists,  8 

Native  evangelists,  28 

The  Swedish  (Lutheran)  Church  has  three  mis- 
sionaries laboring  in  Natal  and  Zululand,  and  not 
without  success. 

THE  ZULU  LANGUAGE. 

One  peculiarity  of  the  Zulu  language  is  the  dicks 
derived  from  intercourse  with  the  Hottentots.  They 
are  what  are  called  dental,  palatal,  and  lateral, 
owing  to  the  manner  in  which  they  are  spoken. 
The  dental  is  made  bj'^  compressing  the  tip  of  the 
tongue  between  the  teeth  and  hastily  drawing  it 
back.  The  letter  c  is  used  to  denote  it.  The  palatal 
is  a  cracking  sound  which  the  tongue  makes  in  the 
roof  of  the  mouth,  and  is  represented  by  the  letter 
q.  The  lateral  is  a  sound  like  clucking  to  a  horse, 
caused  by  the  tongue  and  double  teeth  united.  The 
letter  x  represents  it.  Dr.  Lepsius  in  his  Standard 
Alphabet  suggested  characters  for  these  clicks,  but 
missionaries  in  Zululand  are  not  inclined  to  adopt 
them.  The  letters  used  for  them  are  always  in 
italics. 


Appendix.  297 

There  is  another  sound  in  the  language,  happily 
occurring  only  in  a  few  words,  pronounced  as  a 
guttural  from  the  bottom  of  the  throat.  It  is  not 
a  click,  but,  according  to  a  philologist,  ''  a  peculiar, 
hard,  rough  sound  that  seems  to  be  made  by  con- 
tracting the  thi'oat  and  giving  the  breath  a  forcible 
expulsion,  at  the  same  time  modifying  the  sound 
with  a  tremulous  motion  of  the  epiglottis."  Only 
Zulus,  and  whites  born  among  them,  can  express  it. 

Each  class  of  nouns  has  a  prefix  which  undergoes 
a  change  in  forming  the  plural  from  the  singular. 
In  one  class  the  prefix  is  um,  which  in  the  plural 
is  changed  into  aba;  for  instance,  umuntu  (person), 
abantu  (persons).  Another  class  has  the  prefix  in, 
which  in  the  plural  is  changed  to  izin;  for  example, 
inkomo  (cow),  izinkomo  (cows).  In  still  another 
class,  Hi  is  changed  to  ama,  as  ilizwi  (word), 
amazici  (words).  The  possessive  is  formed  in  a 
singular  manner.  Each  class  of  nouns  having  its 
preformative  letter,  that  letter  is  used  in  forming 
this  case,  to  standing  for  nouns  beginning  with  u 
in  the  singular,  and  h  for  the  plural.  Thus  ami 
(of  me)  umfana  (boy),  becomes  in  the  possessive 
iimfana  wami  (my  boy)  ;  plural  aba,  abafana  bami 
(my  boys).  In  another  class,  in  being  the  prefix  in 
the  singular,  y  is  used,  making  yami,  in  the  plural, 
zami;  ihns,  inkotno  yami  (my  cow),  izinkomo  zami 
(my  cows).  In  forming  the  possessive  his  or  her, 
the  basis  is  a  (of)  and  ^e  (him).  For  example,  in 
the  class  commencing  with  vm,  we  have  umfana 
wake  (his  boy),  plural  abafana  bake  (his  boys). 
With  in  for  prefix,  y  is  used,  as  inkomo  yoke  (his 
cow),  plural,  izinkomo  zake  (his  cows).  For  the 
possessive  thei?',  the  ground  form  is  abo;  for  ex- 
ample, abantwana  babo  (their  children),  izinkomo 
zabo  (their  cows) . 

Great  simplicity  is  apparent  in  the  construction  of 
verbs.  Take,  for  example,  the  verb  love,  ukutanda, 
uku  being  the  sign  of  the  infinitive,  and  tanda  the 


298  Forty  Years  Among  the  Zulus. 


root.  JV^gi  is  the  pronoun  of  the  first  person,  and 
ya  the  auxiliary.  Ifgi  i/a  tandd  (I  love);  second 
person,  u  i/a  tarida  (thou  lovcst) ;  third  person,  ?t 
j/a  tandd  (he  loves)  ;  jjlurai,  si  ya  tanda  (wc  love)  ; 
ni  ya  landa  (ye  love);  ba  ya  landa  (they  love). 
Imperfect  tense,  nya  landa  (I  was  loving) ;  wa 
tanda  (thou  wast  loving)  ;  wa  landa  (he  was  lov- 
ing). Perfect  tense,  n<ji  tandile  (I  have  loved);  « 
tandile  (thou  hast  loved) ;  etc.  Pluperfect,  bemji 
tandile  (I  had  loved) ;  u  be  tandile  (thou  hadst 
loved)  ;  etc.  Future,  nyi  ya  ka  tanda  (I  will  love)  ; 
u  ya  ku  tanda  (thou  wilt  love)  ;  etc.  The  impera- 
tive is  the  root,  tanda. 

Rev.  Lewis  Grout,  for  fifteen  years  a  missionary 
in  Natal,  author  of  a  Zulu  grammar  and  a  book 
entitled  "  Zululand,"  justly  remarks  in  regard  to  the 
verbs:  ''One  root  will  often  give  us  a  large  stem 
with  a  good  number  of  bx'anches  and  no  small 
amount  of  fi'uit.  Thus  from  the  verb  bona,  see, 
we  have  bonisa,  cause  to  see;  bonisisa,  show,  show 
clearly;  bonela,  see  for;  bonelela,  see  for  each  other; 
bonisana,  cause  each  other  to  see,  show  each  other; 
bonakala,  appear,  be  visible;  bonakalisa,  make  vis- 
ible; umboneU,  a  spectator;  KVibonelo,  a  spectacle; 
nmbonisi,  an  overseer;  uniboniso,  a  show;  isibono, 
a  sight,  curiosity;  isiboniso,  a  vision;  isibonakalo, 
an  appearance;  isibonakaliso,  a  revelation;  and  all 
this  without  going  into  the  passive  voice;  as  bonwa, 
be  seen;  boniswa,  caused  to  be  seen;  bonisistva, 
cause  to  be  clearly  seen;  et  cetera.^^ 

THE  EXILED  CHIEFS. 

Mr.  Melmotii  Osborn,  c.m.g.,  British  commissioner 
and  chief  magistrate  in  Zululand,  attributes  the  late 
political  revolution,  which  rendered  the  expatriation 
of  the  Zulu  chiefs  necessary,  to  the  intrigues  of 
Dutch  farmers  who  had  settled  in  the  country. 
*'  The  Boers,"  he  says,  "  assisted  the  Usutus  to 
expel  Usibepu,  causing  frightful  bloodshed,  and  then 


Appendix.  290 

qnaireled  with  their  allies  in  regard  to  the  division 
of  the  laud.  The  Boers,  in  truth,  ran  all  over  the 
country  and  respected  no  man's  rights.  They  poi- 
soned the  minds  of  the  Zulus  against  us  by  inciting 
them  to  rebellion.  What  they  said  was  simply  this: 
*  We  [the  Boers]  made  Mpande  king  over  you.  He 
ruled  you  as  an  independent  sovereign  and  lived  and 
reigned  to  a  good  old  age.  Now  the  British  have 
taken  your  country  and  deposed  your  king.  This 
would  not  have  happened  had  you  stuck  to  us,'  etc. 
The  Boers  indeed  proclaimed  Dinizulu  king  on  the 
death  of  Cetywayo,  and  intrigued  with  Ndabuko 
(Dinizulu's  uncle  and  Cetywayo's  full  brother)  lo 
oust  the  British  fi'om  Zululand.  Lucas  Meyer  and 
his  colleagues  even  went  so  far  as  to  perform  the 
scriptural  ceremony  of  anointing  Dinizulu,  and  they 
encouraged  him  to  ride  about  on  a  white  hor.se,  and 
to  flout  British  authority  in  every  way  possible.  I 
should  remark  that  pensions  had  been  granted  to 
the  principal  chiefs  to  compensate  them  for  the  loss 
of  any  advantages  attaching  to  their  position.  These 
were  refused  by  Dinizulu  and  his  uncle,  Ndabuko, 
who  was  the  principal  and  most  dangerous  ofTcnder. 
In  consequence  of  the  dispute  between  the  Boers  and 
Ndabuko  over  the  division  of  the  land,  Sir  Arthur 
Havelock,  as  special  commissioner,  made  an  agreement 
with  the  Boer  representatives,  dated  October  22,  188G, 
by  which  a  certain  line  was  drawn  and  the  Boers  were 
to  be  kept  within  the  territory  known  as  the  New 
Republic.  The  Boers,  however,  did  not  respect  the 
line  of  demarcation,  and  I,  who  was  doing  my  best 
to  preserve  order  and  prevent  injustice  to  the  Zulus, 
proclaimed  the  country  to  be  under  British  protection. 
Afterwards  it  was  annexed  to  the  British  crown,  and 
magistrates  were  appointed  to  administer  justice  and 
secure  good  order.  The  Zulus  —  the  vast  majority 
of  them  —  were  anxious  to  become  British  subjects; 
it  was  only  the  royal  household  and  a  small  section 
of    the    people    inflamed    by  the    Boers,    and    those 


300  Forty  Yoara  Among  the  Zulus. 

Zulus  that  were  iucluded  m  the  New  liopublic,  who 
atieuipted  to  resist.  The  Boers  said  to  ihe  Zulus: 
*  Look  at  us;  the  British  cauie  and  took  our  country, 
but  we  beat  thein  and  drove  them  out.  Why  don't 
you  do  the  same?'  Dinizulu  asserted  liis  supposed 
right  to  rule  as  an  indei)endent  king.  He  even  put 
people  to  death,  and  seized  the  cattle  of  others.  The 
magistrates  and  officers  of  the  government  were 
ignored;  communications  were  made  direct  to  the 
special  commissioner,  Sir  Arthur  llavelock ;  and 
Dinizulu  posed  as  an  independent  ruler,  of  whom 
the  Queen  was  but  the  equal  and  no  more.  The 
counti'y  was  in  a  very  serious  state,  and  I  foresaw 
that  worse  trouble  was  impending.  There  was  only 
one  possible  remedy.  I  consider  it  would  be  a 
disastrous  mistake  to  allow  the  exiled  chiefs  to  go 
back  to  Zululand.  From  the  moment  of  tiieir  de- 
parture the  country  has  been  peaceful ;  but  if  the>' 
were  permitted  to  return  there  would  only  be  a 
repetition  of  what  occurred  after  Cetywa>o'8  res- 
toration. There  was  fearful  bloodshed,  and  misery 
to  women  and  children,  immediately  after  that  event. 
Zululand  is  now  as  quiet  and  prosperous  as  any 
country  on  earth,  and  does  not  cost  the  British 
taxpayer  a  single  penny  for  its  internal  adminis- 
tration. British  rule  is  accepted  by  all  the  Zulus, 
as  is  evidenced  by  the  hundreds  of  cases  which  they 
bring  before  the  resident  magistrates  every  month." 


Date  Due 

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